A 29-Story Heart Just Got Cleared to Rise Near Mandalay Bay

Clark County gave the green light to a heart-shaped mega-resort on the Strip's long-vacant SkyVue site, and there's an aviation twist our crew can't stop talking about.

Clark County Gives the Green Light to a 29-Story Heart

On July 22, Clark County commissioners voted to approve a striking new hotel-casino planned right across from Mandalay Bay, on a stretch of Strip real estate that has sat mostly empty for more than a decade. The tower, backed by developer Eli Applebaum and his firm Kulik River Capital, will climb 29 stories and wrap its center in a glass and LED curtain shaped like a giant heart, one that's designed to glow over the resort corridor after dark.

The site carries a little bit of Vegas history with it. It's the same plot where the Las Vegas Super Wheel started construction back in 2011 before the project stalled and left a skeleton of steel columns standing empty for years. Rather than tear all that steel out, the new design folds those old bones into a 265-foot restaurant near the top of the tower, giving longtime locals a nod to what almost was.

Why Our Aviation Crowd Should Care

Here's the detail that got our attention at The Hangar LV: FAA airspace rules actually forced the whole project to shrink. Applebaum's team originally pitched a taller tower with 874 rooms, but had to trim roughly 60 feet off the plan and drop down to 752 rooms so the building would stay clear of flight paths tied to Harry Reid International.

It's a fun reminder that even the flashiest Strip project still answers to the same airspace math our regulars talk about at the bar every week. Vegas keeps growing up, quite literally, and the sky above the Strip stays a busy, carefully managed approach corridor the whole time.

A New Entertainment Corridor Takes Shape

Beyond the shape, the bigger story for event planners and nightlife fans is what gets built around the tower. Early plans call for a covered plaza lined with restaurants, retail and gathering spots, borrowing some of that walkable Fremont Street energy but planting it squarely mid-Strip instead. Convention space and a pool deck round out the amenity list, setting the project up as a full private-event destination once doors open.

No groundbreaking date has been announced yet, and county approval is really just the first big hurdle cleared. Even so, a developer pitching an entertainment corridor and pool-deck programming is exactly the kind of venue trend we like to track, since it usually means more touring shows, more foot traffic for nearby bars, and more choices for anyone planning a private party on the Strip.

Vegas Keeps Betting on Bold Architecture

This heart-shaped resort joins a run of attention-grabbing Strip concepts working through the pipeline, including Hard Rock's long-discussed guitar-shaped tower. Locals online have already weighed in with plenty of takes, some cheering the return of themed megaresorts, others pushing for a water park or family attraction on the same footprint instead.

Whatever ends up breaking ground, we love watching this town keep reinventing its own skyline. If you want to talk shop about it over a drink, or you are already dreaming up your own showstopper of a private event, swing by The Hangar LV. We'll toast to the next big thing while everyone waits for the cranes to show up.

6 Only-in-Vegas Reasons Everyone Is Talking About This Project

A heart-shaped casino sounds like a wild pitch until you dig into the details. Here's what's actually driving the buzz.

1. The Shape: A full glass and LED heart wraps the tower's center, built to glow across the Strip skyline after sunset.
2. The Site's Past: It sits on the old Las Vegas Super Wheel footprint, largely empty since that Ferris wheel project stalled out years ago.
3. The FAA Factor: Height dropped by 60 feet and rooms fell from 874 to 752 to keep the tower clear of nearby flight paths.
4. The Recycled Steel: Leftover wheel support columns get folded into a 265-foot restaurant near the top of the new tower.
5. The Entertainment Corridor: A covered plaza with restaurants, retail and event space is planned to give the resort a walkable, Fremont-Street feel.
6. The Neighbors: It joins other bold concepts in the pipeline, including Hard Rock's proposed guitar-shaped tower.
7. The Online Debate: Locals are split, with some wanting a themed megaresort and others pitching a water park for the same spot instead.

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