Posted at 7:36 a.m., Tuesday, November 20, 2007
FAA rejects Crown Las Vegas' plan for tallest tower
Associated Press
LAS VEGAS — The Federal Aviation Administration has put a damper on a Texas-based developer's dream of building the tallest building west of the Mississippi River.The FAA says the proposed Crown Las Vegas casino-hotel on the Las Vegas Strip can only be 1,064 feet high.
The decision undercuts developer Christopher Milam's original plan to build a tower 1,888 feet high.
The Stratosphere hotel-casino tower in Las Vegas, topped with a restaurant, observation platform and thrill rides, is currently the tallest structure in the West, at 1,149 feet.
An FAA spokesman said a tower higher than 1,064 feet would pose a hazard to air traffic at Clark County airports including McCarran International and Nellis Air Force Base.
Milam declined to comment on the FAA decision. He has until Dec. 19 to appeal.
Milam has received approval from Clark County to build a $5 billion resort on the former Wet 'n Wild water park site south of the Sahara hotel-casino.
Crown Las Vegas is a partnership between Milam's Austin, Texas-based IDM Properties, Australian billionaire James Packer's Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd., and New York-based private equity firm York Capital Management.
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Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal, www.lvrj.com
