Las Vegas CityCenter within a City

New CityCenter was complex to construct but the result is a LEED-certified urban resort community

July 19, 2014

CithCenter includes new hotels, casinos, residences, shopping, restaurants and a fine art collection.

If you haven't been to Las Vegas since the last ConExpo/Con-Agg show, you'll probably notice the new CityCenter between the Bellagio and the Monte Carlo. This 67-acre property is a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Infinity World Development Corp, a subsidiary of Dubai World, and includes new hotels, residencies and a retail and entertainment district. Eight architectural firms worked together to bring CityCenter to life.

Complex Construction

The construction of CityCenter was complex. According to a press release from Tishman Construction Management, one of the contractors on the job, the three-and-a-half year project required 77,000 tons of steel; 1.2 million cubic yards of concrete; 30 cranes, including 13 tower cranes; more than 3.7 million square feet of curtain wall facade; 17,000 miles of electrical wiring; and 7,000 miles of telecom, security and A/V cabling.

According to a press release from Perini Building Company, a general contractor for the project, construction of the CityCenter "spanned 18 million square feet and is comparable to building more than 12 major structures."

Like a lot of new construction, CityCenter was built with sustainability in mind. The finished project was awarded Gold LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. During construction, steps were taken to keep the project's environmental impact down including:

the CityCenter team developed a strict construction waste management plan to redirect recyclable and reusable resources back into the manufacturing process
mileage traveled by trucks to deliver thousands of loads of concrete and other materials was reduced by allocating space for an onsite concrete production plant and utilizing the products of more than 260 manufacturers located within a 500-mile radius of the project site
developers selected paints, sealants, adhesives, carpet and composite wood products that do not contain toxic substances that can later be released into the air; Similar non-toxic products are used for touch-ups and renovations.

Navigating the City

With construction complete, visitors to Las Vegas now have more options to stay, play and dine. Here's a closer look at the new CityCenter:

ARIA Resort & Casino
The ARIA Resort & Casino opened in December 2009. It has 4,004 guest rooms, a 150,000-square-foot casino and 16 restaurants. It is also host to the new Cirque du Soleil show Viva ELVIS which celebrates the life and music of Elvis Preseley. If you're looking to relax you can check out the two-level spa or sip a drink at one of the resort's 10 bars and lounges. Or visit the pool deck and take a swim in one of three primary pools or the adults-only pool. The ARIA also features a space for meetings and conventions.

Vdara Hotel & Spa
Opened in December 2009, the 57-story Vdara Hotel & Spa is a non-gaming, all suite hotel with 1,495 rooms. The hotel is also home to studio and one- and two-bedroom condo-hotel residences. Guests can dine at the Silk Road restaurant or get a drink in Bar Vdara. The hotel also features a two-level spa, salon and fitness facility and 10,000 square feet of meeting and social space. Vdara's pool and lounge features one primary pool, semi-secluded plunge pools, 19 cabanas and a bar and lounge area.

Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas
This 47-story, 392 room non-gaming hotel and residence opened in December of 2009. The top floors of the hotel are comprised of 225 luxury condos. Guests can enjoy a meal at one of the hotels many restaurants including Twist by Michelin Chef Pierre Gagnaire, enjoy some afternoon tea in the Tea Lounge or have a drink and enjoy the views from the Mandarin Bar on the 23rd floor. Take a dip in the pool, exercise in one of two lap pools or enjoy the afternoon in one of the hotel's 20 cabanas. Like the other hotels at CityCenter, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas also features a two-level spa and meeting and social event space.

Veer Towers
Veer Towers is the only completely residential development at CityCenter. The two 37-story glass towers each feature approximately 335 condominium residences ranging from studios up to three-bedroom residences and penthouses. The design of the towers is unique as well. Both towers are inclined at five-degree angles.

Crystals
If you're looking for a new place to shop Crystals is it. The 500,000-square-foot Crystals is home to retailers and dining. Retailers include Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co, Roberto Cavalli and TOM FORD. Visitors can dine at Eva Longoria Parker's Beso, Mastro's Ocean Club, Todd English P.U.B. or one of two new Wolfgang Puck restaurants. Unique to Crystals is its desire to bring in nature with hanging gardens, a lush flower carpet and a three-story sculptural Tree House.

For more information about CityCenter please visit www.citycenter.com.

Fast Facts about CityCenter

Construction broke ground on April 3, 2006
There is enough concrete to build a 4-ft. sidewalk from Las Vegas to New York and back
There is enough steel to build 10 Eiffel Towers
More than 9,000 construction jobs were created
Construction recycling diverted more than 250,000 tons of construction waste from the local landfill
There is enough fiber optic cable at CityCenter to circle the equator 4.1 times
CityCenter's on-site, 8.5-megawatt co-generation plant provides 10% of power to CityCenter and uses its waste generated through electricity production to create the domestic hot water throughout CityCenter
Energy-efficient initiatives will provide a savings equivalent to powering 7,700 households annually
There are approximately 2,400 permanent residences between the Veer Towers, Vdara Hotel & Spa and Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas
The Fine Art Collection – a permanent collection integrated into public space - showcases works by acclaimed artists
Eight internationally acclaimed architectural firms worked on CityCenter
The CityCenter Tram is able to transport more than 5,000 guests per hour
CityCenter has approximately 12,000 permanent employees
CityCenter is the first for any hotel, retail district or residential development in Las Vegas to receive U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Gold certification
CityCenter features a 5,700-sq.-ft. fire station that serves CityCenter and the surrounding Las Vegas Strip area

On the Job: T.B. Penick & Sons

T.B. Penick & Sons, Inc. was tasked with the job of creating the decorative concrete for CityCenter. Decorative concrete was done on concrete flatwork, walls and drive circles, says Andrew Weber, general manager of T.B. Penick's Las Vegas office. The company also installed Lithocrete and Bomanite concrete stamping.

Weber says the T.B. Penick crew – totaling about 95 employees – worked on the CityCenter project for about a year and a half. Since there were so many contractors and subcontractors on the job (around 8,000 workers at the peak of the project) the T.B. Penick crew did most of its work in the early morning hours, usually starting its first crew around 1 a.m. with a second crew finishing the day around 4 p.m.

The massive size of the project was the biggest challenge, Weber says. "The coordination that was required is still mind boggling," he says. To help tackle the large amount of work required, Weber says T.B. Penick broke its decorative concrete work up into eight project zones. This allowed them to be flexible because they often had to do work out of sequence. It also gave them the ability to section off smaller areas to work on. In all, Weber says T.B. Penick installed decorative concrete finishes on approximately 10,000 linear feet of concrete walls and 8,000 yards of decorative concrete flatwork.