Friday, July 11, 1997 | 9:45 a.m.
By late July, you'll be able to catch a tantalizing glimpse of the two faces of Venice planned for the Strip.
That's the scheduled official opening of a preview center for the $2 billion Venetian-themed resort slated to replace the old Sands hotel-casino in 1999.
The preview center's public opening will cap off a week of closed-door showings to civic and political leaders, competing gaming executives, journalists and potential investors who've come away almost universally impressed by plans for the stunning new addition to the city's evolving architectural heritage.
Undeterred by Culinary Union opposition or fears of market saturation, Las Vegas Sands Inc. owner Sheldon Adelson is proceeding at full speed to develop the 6,000-suite, 12 million-square-foot resort on the Strip across from The Mirage, Treasure Island and the Fashion Show Mall.
The resort is set to open in two phases. The Venetian hotel-casino, a 3,000-suite tower featuring reproductions of architectural landmarks from Renaissance Venice, will debut in spring 1999.
Nine months later, the companion Lido hotel-casino will open with a lagoon and marina evoking the Venetian Isle of Lido.
Built on a 63-acre site, the resort will include a casino with nearly 200,000 square feet of gaming space, 100 table games and 2,500 slot machines. Both towers will be linked to the Sands Expo Center, which will be expanded to 1.6 million square feet, making it the second-largest convention facility in the United States.
The Grand Canal Shoppes' 140 high-end outlets will offer upscale retail merchandise along a 1,200-foot reproduction of Venice's famous waterway, set beneath a 70-foot ceiling.
Restaurants will offer the feeling of al fresco dining in the Piazza San Marco, with cuisine from around the world. A four-level entertainment facility will host a variety of performers, some in a 1,700-seat theater.
The 700-square-foot suites will feature private bedrooms, sunken living rooms and 130-square-foot bathrooms with Italian marble, makeup mirrors, hair dryers and telephones.
Throughout the property will be detailed replications of classic Venetian architecture, including the Doge's Palace, the 315-foot Campanile Tower, the Rialto Bridge and the Bridge of Sighs, the Ca d'Oro Villa and the Clock Tower.
A canal complete with gondolas will run along the Strip, and cobblestone walkways will help re-create the romantic atmosphere of Venice.
Adelson, whose net worth swelled to nearly $1 billion after he sold the Comdex computer show to a Japanese company several years ago, said attention to detail will be the hallmark of the new resort.
"The key is to re-create the charm and history and architectural wonder of Venice," he said.
Two other issues also will be keys to The Venetian's success. The first will be resolving the thorny labor dispute with the Culinary Union. The two sides have been battling in words and in courts since the Sands closed, and most Las Vegans hope a protracted war can be avoided.
The second concern involves the issue of market saturation. Growth in visitor volume hasn't kept pace recently with the increased room inventory, and with more than 15,000 new hotel rooms currently under construction, many analysts fear there won't be enough customers to fill them.
Adelson, though, said he expects the resort's convention facility and his experience in that business to enable The Venetian to attract new trade shows to Las Vegas.
Although Las Vegas Sands officials decline to discuss details, financing for the resort is expected to be accomplished through an initial public offering of equity and debt.
The Venetian will represent another step in the theming of Las Vegas resorts that began with Caesars Palace and its Roman design. The concept was moved to another level with The Mirage, and before long properties such as Treasure Island, Luxor, Excalibur, MGM, Monte Carlo and the like began offering guests full-service entertainment venues themed on world-renowned locales or story lines.
The recent opening of New York-New York, with its richly detailed facade and interior depicting Manhattan landmarks, and Sunset Station's Spanish-themed resort created heightened expectations among tourists for eye-catching dining, retail and entertainment experiences, as well as traditional gaming opportunities.
Bellagio, Paris and the Project Paradise resorts now being built promise to carry that evolution still further. If the finished product matches its plans, The Venetian will, as well.
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