Monday, June 21, 1999 | 12:18 p.m.
The $1.3 billion Aladdin, Las Vegas' first megaresort of the new millennium, moved a step closer to its spring opening Friday with a topping-out ceremony under a cloudless summer sky.
Developer Jack Sommer, his wife Laura and two of their sons joined ironworkers atop the 39-story hotel tower, paused for a moment of silence to honor Stephen Abernethy, an ironworker who died in an accident at the site earlier this year, then tightened a bolt securing the final girder in place.
"This hotel is the largest steel building west of the Mississippi," Laura Sommer said afterward. "But it will be a lot more than just a big steel building.
"Las Vegas is a place where dreams permeate the air," she said. "The new Aladdin will be a place about genies, magic lamps, a feeling your dreams can come true."
The elaborately themed resort will borrow from some of the most romantic adventures of mythology, incorporating as design features a giant magic lamp, a two-story replica of Scheherazade's Palace, winged horse statuary from the Tale of the Ebony Horse, a talon from a legendary Roc featured in the Tales of Sinbad and other elements from 1001 Arabian Nights.
Desert Passage, a themed 500,000-square-foot shopping and dining area, will include more than 130 retail shops and some of the 21 restaurants that will be located throughout the resort.
Featured restaurants include Commander's Palace of New Orleans, Anasazi of Santa Fe, the Blue Note Jazz Club of New York, Lombardi's, the Macanudo Steakhouse & Club and Beluga, featuring a collection of the world's finest caviar.
The old Aladdin Theater for the Performing Arts is being renovated into a new 7,000-seat entertainment facility. The resort will include 2,567 rooms and suites, a 100,000-square-foot casino, a separate European-style luxury gaming salon operated by London Clubs International and a showroom offering nightly entertainment.
"What will make the Aladdin different from other themed resorts in Las Vegas is the whole mystery and magic of the place," Aladdin Resort & Casino President James McKennon said.
"This isn't a replica of another place on earth. It's a totally immersive experience that will capture the imagination."
It will also be a resort that will focus on customer service, Laura Sommer said.
"We want to ensure there's a friendly atmosphere where people feel comfortable," she said.
The Sommers began looking for acreage in the Las Vegas valley while on their honeymoon 25 years ago and thought about buying the old Aladdin as early as 1980. Meanwhile, they acquired 640 acres north of the city in anticipation of building an upscale golf resort and residential area.
Jack Sommer said Friday that model homes in the Mountain Spa development near Floyd Lamb State Park will go on display this fall, while an 18-hole golf course currently under construction there will open next year.
The gated community will feature custom homes and a 500-room Ritz-Carlton resort and casino. Concierge service will be available to homeowners in the development, Laura Sommer said.
The Sommers, who have developed major residential and commercial real estate projects throughout the country, delayed buying the original Aladdin until 1994. But when they did, they quickly learned someone else had also been eyeing the aging hotel-casino.
"The day after Jack bought it," Laura Sommer said, "Donald Trump called and asked if he wanted to flip it."
Jack Sommer turned downed the offer from Trump to make a quick profit on the purchase by reselling it to a fellow East Coast real estate developer who's often expressed interest in competing in Las Vegas.
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