Citycenter Las Vegas

I was traveling in a cab down Las Vegas Blvd. when I first saw the bare bones structure of CityCenter. Upon hearing me gasp, the driver casually commented, "Oh, that's the MGM CityCenter, a city within a city. It's being developed by MGM Mirage and the Prince of Dubai."

Six high-rise towers reaching into the clouds topped by over 10 cranes, it was an impressive structure indeed. I've since found out that the driver was not far off. This joint partnership between MGM Mirage and Infinity World Development Corp, a subsidiary of Dubai World, carries the hefty price tag of $8 billion, and upon completion will be the largest privately funded development in U.S. history.

Planning for a opening in late November 2009, its 76 acres will include ARIA, a 61-story gaming resort, three luxury non-gaming hotels; Veer Towers, including 2,600 condominium units; and Crystals, a 500,000 square foot retail, dining and entertainment mecca. Also featured is a fine art program including $40 million in artwork by world renowned artists.

In addition, CityCenter boasts 300,000 square feet of meeting space and is designed to accommodate conventions with attendance up to 5,000 people.

Early in 2009, MGM will begin the daunting task of hiring some 12,000 employees required to maintain CityCenter Las Vegas.

MGM Mirage is striving to be awarded the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, and claim their design will be one of the world's largest environmentally sustainable urban communities. Eight award winning architects have combined their vision and brains to create a sustainable development based on the following principles:

Conserving Water: A development of this size uses considerable resources in any location, but in the desert, special consideration for means of water preservation is imperative. Developers have implemented such technology as low-flow bathroom fixtures and an advanced irrigation system.

Environmental Air Quality: Materials used during construction were selected to minimize their emission of harmful compounds and minimize pollutants in the air conditioning system.

Conserving Energy: The design utilizes natural light and other technology to generate on-site power. Systems are automatically programmed to turn off the heating/cooling systems, televisions, lights or appliances when a unit is unoccupied after checkout.

Alternative Forms of Transportation: Incentives will be offered to guests and residents who do their part to support eco-friendly practices. Preferred parking will be offered to those driving low fuel emitting vehicles, or those participating in a car pooling program. Valet parking will be available for those riding their bikes to work. An above ground tramway will get people from place to place within this mini-city.

Advanced Technology: CityCenter architects have raised the bar with their use of advanced guestroom technology previously reserved for luxury custom homes and upscale resort suites. Standard amenities include:

- Upon initially entering a room, the lights will go on, curtains will automatically draw, and the TV will turn on.

- Using a one-touch remote control guests can customize lighting, room temperature, TV and video systems, music, wake-up calls, and service requests. A small panel on the night stand will display the same remote settings on a touch screen.

- Keyless locks can be unlocked easily by flashing their key over the sensor.

- A 42-inch LCD HDTV can be connected to laptops or video devices. The television is also used as a means of communication and displays messages and voicemail alerts.

- The clock radio is replaced with TV settings that control the lighting, curtain opening and initiate a selection of music.

- High speed wireless internet connection with extra bandwidth allows guests to download music or free Internet content. All in room devices are network driven, allowing management to perform remote maintenance quickly and seamlessly.