New Investors To Revive Las Vegas’s Moulin Rouge Casino

Yet another attempt at revitalizing the historic Moulin Rouge Casino located in West Las Vegas is underway after nearly 60 years of failed efforts. The casino had completely shut down in 2009 after suffering enormous losses in a major fire.

The current revival in the Las Vegas casino market has spurred a renewed interest in the site. In the latest bid to bring it to life, Scott Johnson, president of Moulin Rouge Holdings has undertaken the redevelopment of the property. Intervening attempts to re-open the casino by a number of developers have failed but Johnson is not deterred and hopes to open it to the public by 2019.

The demolition of the existing structure has started and Johnson is planning to retain and recycle some of the material from the original construction. He has expressed his confidence in successfully completing the project stating that he has not yet started a project and failed during his last 30 years in Nevada.

KTNV Channel 13 Las Vegas

Katherine Duncan who is the Ward 5 Chamber of Commerce president has a similar resolve. The Ward had possessed the contract to develop the site till January this year but could not put in place the required funding to move forward. The contract was subsequently taken over by Moulin Rouge Holdings.

The Moulin Rouge is expected to be a key economic growth driver for the community, bringing in tourist revenue to revitalize the neighborhood. Duncan has said that this is the reason why the community needs to have a say in the development plans for the site.

According to her the casino must be family-friendly avoiding elements of adult entertainment.

In a statement Duncan said,

We’re the exact opposite of Sin City. We’ve got more churches per capita here than any place else in the world. So over here, we wouldn’t expect pornography and all that adult stuff. It would be a family-friendly destination. That’s why the community has to be part of the development, so we can make sure whatever happens in our neighborhood is culturally appropriate

Johnson is in agreement that the project would be a family-friendly one. Duncan is however fiercely opposed to Johnson having full control over the decisions regarding the project. As a community project, Duncan believes that it is essential for the community and Moulin Rouge Holdings to collaborate in order move forward, given the importance the project has for the community and the enormous support for it within the community.

Both Johnson and Duncan have agreed to work together on the project, failing which District Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez would step in to decide who has main control of the project.

Adrian Sterne

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