MGM Resorts International is set to add the well-known NoMad Hotel label to the Strip through a planned, $450 million revamp of its Monte Carlo hotel-casino. The project is set to begin later this year.
MGM Resorts and New York-based Sydell Group have partnered to reinvent the 3,000-room Monte Carlo into a newly designed Park MGM — a 2,700 room luxury concept, designed to target a younger crowd that is well-traveled and “seeking unique experiences and innovative design,” the company said in a statement.
The new concept, slated for completion by the end of 2018, will also incorporate European design influences while building on the property’s history and retaining a connection to the recently completed Park project next door, the company said.
“We are thrilled to partner with Sydell Group as we enter the final phase of transforming the neighborhood that we believe represents Las Vegas’ true entertainment epicenter,” said Bill Hornbuckle, president of MGM Resorts International.
NoMad Las Vegas will have 292 rooms and suites and have its own dedicated drop-off lobby, swimming pool and separate gaming area.
The duo will collaborate on transforming all public areas and guest spaces, which includes food and beverage offerings, for both properties.
Some of those concepts include the NoMad Restaurant and Eataly, an Italian marketplace with cafes, to-go counters and full-service restaurants.
The Sydell Group, known for its NoMad in New York property, also holds several properties including The Line in Los Angeles, Freehand in Miami and Chicago and Saguaro in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Palm Springs, California.
University of Phoenix to bring
innovation to downtown Las Vegas
The University of Phoenix is looking to increase innovation in downtown Las Vegas with its planned RedFlint Innovation Experience Center.
RedFlint, expected to set up shop in the Bank of America Plaza building at 300 S. Fourth St. in September. It will offer individuals, startups and established businesses a place to access the latest technology and business ideas to help “them perform at a high caliber today, and learn how to be nimble and relevant tomorrow,” the organization said in a statement.
The center is a collaboration between University of Phoenix’s College of Information Systems and Technology and School of Business and Iron Yard Ventures, which has sparked investment in 59 startups in the past four years, organizations that have gone on to create hundreds of jobs and raise more than $70 million in follow-on funding, officials said.
“Rapid technology advancements have led to a new kind of ‘skills gap,’” said Dennis Bonilla, executive dean of the College of Information Systems and Technology at the University of Phoenix.
Nevada at the center of improving sensor technology in drones
Nevada is playing a critical role in the development of drone technology.
In recent weeks, National Security Technologies, the contractor that operates the Nevada National Security Site for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration, purchased two unmanned aerial systems for a research and development program designed to expand the development of sensor technology for unmanned aerial systems and enable scientists to further the capabilities of current systems.
“This is a huge opportunity — a real game changer for the NNSS,” said Jim Holt, president of National Security Technologies. “A (drone) can be used in situations where manned aircraft may not be used safely. These small aerial platforms can be used at the NNSS for sensor development, as well as site security, environmental monitoring, radiological remote sensing and national security applications.”
The Federal Aviation Administration named Nevada as one of six Federal Aviation Administration-authorized test sites for unmanned aerial systems in December 2013. Nevada National Security Site officials were integral in supporting the state’s bid to be a designated test site.
The Nevada National Security Site’s overall goals for drone technology includes emergency response, national security, defense applications and experimentation, nuclear weapons stockpile stewardship and environmental management.
The drone technology now in use at the Nevada National Security Site, two Sandstorm drone platforms, were purchased from Henderson-based Unmanned Systems Inc.
Shrimp company jumps
into Las Vegas market
La Coste, Texas-based NaturalShrimp, a publically traded agro-tech company, recently picked Las Vegas as one of three sites for its new regional shrimp production systems.
“The three locations will serve as distribution centers, not only to the surrounding areas, but allow NaturalShrimp the opportunity to expand its brand domestically,” said Director of Operations Scott Stubblefield.
The regional facility will handle sales, packaging and shrimp plant management, which includes using the brand’s patented water treatment systems and technology for growing shrimp indoors.
NaturalShrimp will seek out a site for its new plants in the Las Vegas and New York City areas, while it starts construction on its home turf in La Coste. The Texas region will also remain the company’s headquarters for operations and production.
