Circa CEO Derek Stevens signs the final beam during a topping out ceremony for Circa in downtown Las Vegas Friday, June 19, 2020. The hotel-casino, the first new ground-up casino built in downtown Las Vegas since 1980, is expected to open Oct. 28, 2020. STEVE MARCUS
Friday, June 19, 2020 | 4:28 p.m.
Casino owner and Circa Las Vegas developer Derek Stevens said today he started to think in April that the under-construction resort could open early.
Originally, the 35-story resort — the first to be built in downtown Las Vegas in decades — was scheduled to open in December. But it was announced earlier this week that it will open a few days before Halloween.
Stevens said most of the credit for the expedited construction timeline should go to the builders.
“It was really the creativity of McCarthy (Building Cos.) and Tre Builders to get the first five floors open earlier,” Stevens said today during a topping-off ceremony at the construction site at Main Street and Ogden Avenue. “It’s exciting. During this crazy year of 2020, it’s great to have this story that we’re opening early.”
The first five floors of the resort — essentially everything except the hotel tower — is scheduled to open Oct. 28.
Starting on the eighth floor of the high-rise, the hotel portion of the resort will have 777 rooms.
Among other amenities, the portion of Circa set to open in October will feature a two-story casino with 1,350 slot machines and nearly 50 table games, along with a sportsbook that will hold up to 1,000 people, and a pool amphitheater.
“I think Las Vegas is looking for some new product,” Stevens said. “I’m glad Circa is going to be a part of what’s going to open soon here. We’re going to have Circa, then Allegiant Stadium, then Resorts World after that. It’s great for Las Vegas.”
Circa, which will employ about 1,000 people when it opens, is located on property formerly occupied by the Las Vegas Club.
