Las Vegas Sun

April 24, 2024

After asbestos found, extension granted to demolish burned-out Key Largo casino

Key Largo Fire

Steve Marcus

Clark County and City of Las Vegas firefighters battle a four-alarm fire at the old Key Largo Casino on Flamingo Avenue and Paradise Road Thursday, March 28, 2013.

Key Largo Casino Fire

Clark County and City of Las Vegas firefighters battle a four-alarm fire at the old Key Largo Casino on Flamingo Avenue and Paradise Road Thursday, March 28, 2013. Launch slideshow »

What’s left of the fire-ravaged Key Largo casino near the Las Vegas Strip will remain standing for at least the next few months after county officials granted the property’s owner an extension on the demolition deadline.

The Clark County Building Department issued an abatement order requiring the vacant casino be torn down by April 26, after it suffered heavy damage in a fire last month.

But after filing initial demolition plans with the county on Friday, the owner, Flamingo 2005 LLC, was granted a four-month extension due to the complexity of tearing down the building, Clark County spokeswoman Stacey Welling said.

“It’s a pretty complex project because there’s asbestos involved. They have to abate the asbestos and then tear down the building,” she said. “Given the condition of the building, it’s hard to get in there, so it’s going to take some time.”

The March 28 fire, a suspected case of arson, caused $4.5 million damage, including a collapsed roof on the north side of the building that used to be over the casino floor.

The Key Largo building was built in 1974 and closed in 2005 to make room for a proposed condominium tower that never came to fruition.

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