The Landmark was a hotel and casino located in Paradise, Nevada, east of the Las Vegas Strip and across from the Las Vegas Convention Center. The resort included a 31-floor tower, inspired by the design of the Space Needle tower in Seattle. Frank Caroll, the project's original owner, purchased the property in 1961. Fremont Construction began work on the tower that September, while Caroll opened the adjacent Landmark Plaza shopping center and Landmark Apartments by the end of the year. The tower's completion was expected for early 1963, but because of a lack of financing, construction was stopped in 1962, with the resort approximately 80 percent complete. Up to 1969, the topped-off tower was the tallest building in Nevada until the completion of the International Hotel across the street.
In 1966, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters provided a $5.5 million construction loan to finish the project, with ownership transferred to a group of investors that included Caroll and his wife. The Landmark's completion and opening was delayed several more times. The Landmark was eventually completed in spring 1968. By that time, Caroll had been charged with assault and battery. Caroll subsequently withdrew his application for a gaming license and began searching for a buyer, although the charges against him were later dropped.
Billionaire Howard Hughes, through Hughes Tool Company, purchased the Landmark in 1969 at a cost of $17.3 million. Hughes spent approximately $3 million to add his own touches to the resort before opening it on July 1, 1969, with 400 slot machines and 503 hotel rooms. In addition to a 14,000 sq ft (1,300 m2) ground-floor casino, the resort also had a second, smaller casino on the 29th floor; it was the first high-rise casino in Nevada. Aside from the second casino, the three-story cupola dome at the top of the tower also featured restaurants and a night club.
During the 1970s, the Landmark became known for its performances by country music artists. The resort also played host to famous celebrities such as Danny Thomas, Elvis Presley, and Frank Sinatra. However, the resort suffered financial problems after its opening and underwent several ownership changes, none of which resulted in success. The Landmark, unable to compete with new megaresorts, was closed on August 8, 1990. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority purchased the property in September 1993, and later demolished the resort in November 1995, to add a 2,000-space parking lot for its convention center.
Video The Landmark Hotel and Casino
History
In 1960, Kansas City builder Frank Caroll (also known as Frank Caracciolo) and his wife, Susan, decided to construct a hotel-casino and shopping center in Las Vegas. The following year, the Carolls purchased 22 acres (8.9 ha) of land at the northwest corner of Convention Center Drive and Paradise Road in Paradise, Nevada, approximately half a mile east of the Las Vegas Strip. Aside from a gas station, the property was vacant.
Construction and delay
Caroll initially planned to have a tower that would stand 16 stories, to take the claim of tallest building in Nevada, a title that was currently held by the 15-story Fremont Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas. Fremont Construction, owned by Louis P. Scherer of Redlands, California, began construction of the tower at the end of September 1961, under a $1.5 million contract. Carroll's company, Carroll Construction Company, also worked on the tower. At the start of construction, the tower was to include 20 stories, while completion was planned for early 1963. During construction of the Landmark, the Mint hotel began construction of a 26-story hotel building. To attain the record of the tallest building in the state, Caroll ultimately increased the height of the Landmark tower to 31 stories. The tower was built on a five-foot-thick base of concrete and steel, measuring 80 feet in diameter and resting on a base of caliche that descended 30 feet into the ground. Consolidated Construction company was the concrete subcontractor for the tower. The Landmark project was financed with a $3.5 million loan that Caroll received from the Appliance Buyers Credit Corporation, a subsidiary of Whirlpool Corporation.
By December 1961, Caroll had opened the Landmark Plaza shopping center and the Landmark Apartments, both located adjacent to the tower. The Landmark Apartments included 120 units. As of February 1962, concrete for the tower was being poured on a continuous 24-hour schedule, averaging 11 yards per hour, while plans for the hotel were being made. Construction on the tower was expected to reach the 24th floor by the end of the month. In March 1962, at the request of Caroll, Clark County Commissioners removed a restriction which specified that gaming licenses could only be issued for ground-level casinos, as Caroll wanted to open a casino on the second floor of the Landmark's shopping center. In August 1962, the Landmark tower was designated as a civilian fallout shelter, with the capacity to hold 3,500 people after its completion.
By September 1962, the Landmark tower was nearing completion and had become the tallest building in Las Vegas and the state, being visible from 20 miles away. By that time, many stores in the Landmark Plaza had closed due to falling debris that included welding sparks, steel, tools, rivets, and cement. A construction delay occurred in September 1962, when shipments of steel for the tower's dome were deemed inadequate and crews had to wait for new shipments. Construction was progressing rapidly on the tower's dome during October 1962, with steel and concrete still being added to the tower. Completion was still scheduled for early 1963. The Aluminium Division of Apex Steel Corporation Limited was contracted to install a $40,000 aluminum undershine on the three-story dome, to provide a maintenance-free and clean-looking appearance for viewers on the ground. Crews used scaffolding and hoists to reach the area where aluminum sheets needed to be placed. Each day, it took crews 18 minutes to be lifted up. Because of strong winds, it took work crews two months to attach the aluminum. Due to the winds, installation of the aluminum was frequently ended early on some days. Installation was impossible to perform on some days.
In December 1962, construction of the tower was stopped when Appliance Buyers Credit Corporation alleged that Caroll and his wife had defaulted on payments. The tower's planned opening was delayed until April 1963. The 31-story tower had been topped off and the resort was approximately 80 percent complete, with $5 million already spent on the project. In May 1963, Appliance Buyers was planning a sale of the apartments, shopping center, and unfinished tower on June 22, 1963. Caroll and his wife filed a $2.1 million damage suit against Appliance Buyers and sought to halt the sale. The Carolls' suit alleged that Appliance Buyers stopped construction and refused to pay the contractors. An injunction against foreclosure was granted in June 1963. In October 1964, a sale of the tower was approved for later that month, after being requested by Appliance Buyers, which was still owed $3.5 million by Landmark Plaza Corporation. Up to that time, the tower had been appraised several times and was valued between $8 million and $9 million. Ownership subsequently changed, as did the resort's design plans. In December 1965, architect Gerald Moffitt said the project's design had gone through many revisions and that his design plans had been impounded by a court; a spokesman said there were no plans to resume construction in the near future. At that time, the tower was expected to contain 160 hotel rooms. It was estimated that an additional six months was needed to complete the tower.
During its vacancy, people noted that the building appeared to be tilted, similar to the Leaning Tower of Pisa; experts stated that this was an illusion caused when the building was viewed with nearby power poles, which were determined to be tilting rather than the building itself. Local residents nicknamed it the "Leaning Tower of Las Vegas", the "Leaning Tower of Plaza" and "Frank's Folly." Moffitt said, "It doesn't tilt. There is only three-eights of an inch difference in diameter from top to bottom."
Resumed construction and delayed openings
In July 1966, new plans were filed with the county for the completion of the tower. In August 1966, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters provided a $5.5 million construction loan for the project. By that time, ownership had been transferred to Plaza Tower, Inc., made up of several investors, including Frank Caroll and his wife Sue Caroll, and L. P. Scherer, whose construction company was awarded a $2.5 million contract to finish the Landmark tower. Because of legal problems involved with the project, the acquisition of title required over 5,000 hours of legal work and the settlements of more than 40 lawsuits. Construction was scheduled to resume on August 22, 1966. Construction equipment was being prepared two days later, and construction was underway again in early September 1966, with completion expected in early 1967. The adjacent Landmark apartments were to be converted into hotel rooms for the new resort.
The Landmark had been scheduled to open on September 15, 1967, but its opening was further delayed because of construction problems. In October 1967, a new opening date of November 15 was announced, with an official grand opening to be held on December 31, 1967. In early November 1967, Scherer was awarded a $2.2 million contract for the final construction phase of the Landmark. Construction crews worked 24 hours a day for each day of the week during the final phase to have the 650-seat dinner showroom theater ready for the planned New Year's Eve opening. Also included in the final phase were clothing and jewelry shops, as well as a recreation area with swimming pools and a 20-foot waterfall.
By the time of its planned opening, the tower was nearly complete. However, Caroll had not yet obtained a state gambling license. At that time, the tower's opening was scheduled for mid-January 1968, but did not occur as planned. In March 1968, the Nevada Gaming Control Board recommended against the issuance of a gaming license due to "inadequate financial capabilities and resources of the operating corporation and of its principal investor," referring to Caroll. That month, billionaire Howard Hughes was reportedly interested in purchasing the resort.
In April 1968, Caroll announced that he would back out of the project. Later that week, Caroll also withdrew his application for a gaming license after he was charged with assault and battery, although the charges were later dropped. The company planned to receive new financing and to eventually submit a new gaming application. Approximately 600 people were expected to be employed at the Landmark upon its opening. Caroll began searching for a buyer, and put the Landmark up for sale in April 1968. Several companies made purchase offers that were ultimately rejected, including Rosco Industries Inc., based in Los Angeles.
The Landmark was completed in spring 1968, and its tower remained as the tallest building in the state. On August 2, 1968, a 39-year-old man was killed when he flew a stolen Cessna 180 plane into the tower as part of an apparent suicide attempt.
Hughes purchase
In October 1968, Hughes agreed to purchase the Landmark for $17.3 million. At the time, Hughes also owned five other hotel-casinos in Las Vegas. The United States Department of Justice then launched an antitrust investigation into Hughes' proposed purchase, after previously investigating his attempt to purchase the Stardust Resort and Casino, a transaction that he was blocked from completing for antitrust reasons. As part of the investigation, the Department of Justice attempted to determine if there were other prospective buyers for the Landmark.
By December 1968, while the Department of Justice continued its investigation, negotiations were underway with several firms that were interested in purchasing the Landmark, which included a $20 million offer from Tanger Industries, a holding company based in El Monte, California. It was reported that Hughes' attempted purchase would be rejected by the Department of Justice, despite his offer to convert the building into office space.
In January 1969, the Department of Justice approved Hughes' plan to purchase the Landmark as his sixth Las Vegas resort. In March 1969, Hughes applied for approval to operate the Landmark's gambling operations. Hughes planned to operate the casino through his Nevada company, Hughes Properties Inc., which was overseen by Hughes executive Edward H. Nigro. Hughes planned for the resort to include 26 table games and 401 slot machines. The following month, Hughes received approval from the Gaming Control Board and from the state, and planned to have the resort opened on July 1, 1969.
The Landmark was purchased through Hughes Tool Company. The sale was officially completed in June 1969. As part of the purchase, Hughes paid off creditors associated with the project. The Landmark was the only casino that Hughes had purchased before it was opened. As a result, Hughes was heavily involved in details regarding the project. Hughes spent approximately $3 million to give the interior a lavish design and to add other touches to the resort, while the exterior of the Landmark buildings was left unchanged. Hughes' additions included an Incan and Space Age theme for the resort's interior.
In June 1969, Sun Realty filed a claim against Plaza Tower, Inc., thus threatening the opening of the Landmark. Sun Realty alleged that it was owed a $500,000 finder's fee for locating Hughes as a buyer. The case was dismissed on June 25, 1969, allowing the resort to open as scheduled.
Opening and operation
The Landmark opened on the night of July 1, 1969, a day before the opening of Kirk Kerkorian's resort across the street: the International Hotel. Also located across the street was the Las Vegas Convention Center. Apollo 10 astronauts Thomas P. Stafford and Eugene Cernan attended the grand opening, and were the first people to enter the new resort. Other guests included Cary Grant, Dean Martin, Jimmy Webb, Phil Harris, Tony Bennett, Sammy Cahn, Steve and Eydie, and Wilt Chamberlain. Hughes did not attend the grand opening. For opening night, comedian Danny Thomas was the first to perform in the Landmark's theater-restaurant showroom.
The resort had a total of 400 slot machines. The ground-floor casino was 14,000 sq ft (1,300 m2), while a second, smaller casino, consisting of 3,000 sq ft (280 m2), was located on the 29th floor; it was the first high-rise casino in the state. The hotel contained 476 rooms and 27 suites, a small number in comparison to other Las Vegas resorts, which commonly had 1,000 rooms.
The Landmark reportedly lost $5 million in its first week of operations, and despite its close proximity to the convention center, the resort failed to make a profit during the subsequent years of its operation. In October 1969, Sun Realty filed a damages lawsuit against Hughes Tool Company and Plaza Tower, Inc, alleging that the two companies conspired to avoid paying the realty company its $500,000 finder's fee. Aside from the finder's fee, Sun Realty also sought an additional $5 million in punitive damages. In February 1971, the Nevada supreme court rejected the lawsuit, which had sought $3 million by that time.
In April 1971, plans were announced for a $750,000 expansion that would include luxury suites on the 29th floor, the highest in Las Vegas at the time. Also planned was the remodeling of the casino and lobby, and the expansion of a coffee shop. In January 1972, Hughes paid a little over $1 million to purchase 10 acres (4.0 ha) of adjacent land located west of the Landmark. Hughes had previously leased the property, which he had been using as a parking lot for the resort.
In January 1973, ownership of the Landmark was transferred to Hughes' Summa Corporation. That year, the Landmark was valued at $25 million in a property appraisal. By 1974, William Bennett and William Pennington made an offer to buy the Landmark, but Hughes raised the price several times, from $15 million to $20 million; they bought the Circus Circus resort instead. In January 1976, the Landmark began offering foreign-language gaming video tapes to its German, Japanese, and Spanish hotel guests, who frequently limited themselves to playing slot machines rather than table games because of language barriers. Summa general manager E. H. Milligan said, "As far as we know, we are the first hotel in Las Vegas to present this service in this manner." Hughes died in April 1976.
By May 1977, Summa was financially struggling; that month, the brokerage firm of Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith recommended that Summa sell its various holdings, including the Landmark. According to the brokerage firm, the Landmark "has proven highly inefficient for hotel/casino operations and, in the opinion of Summa Corporation's management, does not warrant further investment."
Gas leak and fire
On July 15, 1977, shortly after 4:00 a.m., a water pipe burst in the tower's subbasement, two floors below ground level. Two feet of water flooded the basement room and shorted out the main power panel, thereby cutting out electricity for the resort shortly before 5:00 a.m. An auxiliary power generator provided lighting for the resort. However, telephones, air conditioning, and four of the tower's five elevators were left non-functional because of the main power failure. Carbon monoxide, freon and methane, all originating from the auxiliary generator, infiltrated the tower through ventilation ducts, forcing an evacuation of the building. Between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., crews from Southwest Gas Corporation inspected the building with firemen and found no further traces of gas, allowing guests and employees to re-enter the building.
A second evacuation was ordered at 2:30 p.m. after another power failure, which rendered the elevators inoperable once again. During the outage, 21 table games remained open with the use of emergency lights, while a bar gave away free drinks. Power was restored at 6:45 p.m., although telephones remained inoperable. Guests were given the option to stay at one of Summa's other hotel properties. Despite the incident, hotel executives stated that the resort maintained 95-percent occupancy. An investigation into the cause of the gas leaks could not begin that day due to the presence of fumes in the basement.
During the incident, a news reporter and a cameraman for the local KLAS-TV news channel - also owned by Summa - were beaten and forced out of the hotel lobby by Landmark guards who were armed with clubs and flashlights. Damaged in the altercation was the recording unit for a $37,000 camera owned by KLAS. Other local news crews were allowed to stay at the property to cover the incident. Orders to remove KLAS were given to the guards by hotel management, which had been irritated by recent KLAS news stories that related to Summa's properties, including a story stating that negotiations were underway to sell the Landmark to an Arabian investor.
A total of 138 people were hospitalized after inhaling the poisonous gases; they were treated at four local hospitals. Among the hospitalized were nearly 100 hotel guests, and several firemen and ambulance drivers; most of the patients were released from the hospitals within three days of the incident. A 55-year-old man was the sole casualty in the incident. An investigation into the cause of the gas leaks concluded on July 19, 1977, and found that a defective exhaust line on one of the emergency generators was responsible. The line had been installed during the hotel's construction. John Pisciotta, director of the Clark County Building Department, did not believe that he or anyone else would be able to determine how the line became damaged. Summa brought in the company which installed the system to have it repaired.
On October 23, 1977, at 3:44 p.m., a two-alarm fire was reported in a hotel room on the 22nd floor, after a bartender in the 27th floor lounge smelled smoke. The entire room had caught on fire from a cigarette. The fire was extinguished with help from 45 firefighters, who put it out within five minutes of their arrival. However, the fire led to heavy smoke infiltrating the entire hotel and ground-floor through elevator shafts. The entire hotel was evacuated, and hundreds of guests and employees were allowed to return inside at approximately 5:15 p.m., after smoke had been cleared from the resort's interior. The 22nd through 27th floors had moderate smoke damage. Five hotel guests were treated for smoke inhalation, but none required hospitalization.
Ownership changes
In late September 1977, Summa began negotiations with a group of Chicago investors that was interested in purchasing the Landmark, which had approximately 1,200 employees at the time. The group - consisting of physicians, lawyers, and a Las Vegas art dealer - operated several fast-food restaurants and medical buildings in the midwestern United States, and was led by attorney Myron Minuskin.
In October 1977, Summa was in negotiations to sell the Landmark for $12 million to Nick Lardakis, a tavern owner who lived in Akron, Ohio. Simultaneously, Summa was also holding discussions with the Scott Corporation - a group of downtown Las Vegas entrepreneurs led by Frank Scott - which wanted to purchase the resort at a price of nearly $10 million. Lardakis' acquisition of the Landmark was rejected that month as he was unable to raise the necessary funds to make the purchase; according to Summa, Lardakis' terms were "unrealistic."
Later in the month, the Chicago group offered $12 million in cash, after three weeks of negotiations. Summa's board of directors favored the $10 million offer by Scott Corporation, which had no down payment and included a 20-year payout period, while the Chicago group was opposed to a long-term mortgage arrangement with Summa. The Chicago group noted that Summa officials repeatedly declined to let the group examine the Landmark's 1973 property appraisal. Other offers came from Las Vegas heiress JoAnn Seigal and Beverly Hills management consultant Charles Fink, both of whom offered $12 million for the resort. Seigal also complained that Summa would not provide her with a property appraisal to base her negotiations.
On October 19, 1977, the Beverly Hills-based Acro Management Consultants made a $16 million cash offer for the Landmark, the highest of five bids that had thus far been offered for the resort. Summa spokesman Fred Lewis said that Acro's bid was considered to be "more of an inquiry" than a serious offer, a belief that was later disputed by Acro. Later that day, Summa announced that no decision had been made on a sale of the Landmark, reportedly due to disagreements within the company. William Lummis, a cousin of Hughes, had been named chairman of the Summa board earlier in the year. Lummis wanted to sell all of Summa's non-profitable properties, while chief operating officer Frank William Gay, citing the purported desires of Hughes, wanted to expand and modernize such properties. The Chicago group subsequently offered to pay all Landmark bills and debts during the final 60 days of a 90-day escrow period.
Summa officials held a meeting on November 3, 1977, but the company made no decision on selling the Landmark, which lost an average of $500,000 per month. By that time, the Scott Corporation stated that it would likely withdraw its offer to purchase the Landmark because of inability to obtain long-term financing. In December 1977, it was stated that if the Landmark remained a Summa property, then the company would add six outdoor tennis courts to the resort, as well as 10 indoor courts that would be usable by all Summa hotel guests in the Las Vegas area.
Zula Wolfram purchased the Landmark from Summa Corporation in March 1978, using $14.3 million that her husband, Ed Wolfram, embezzled from his brokerage firm, Bell & Beckwith. Faye Todd, the Landmark's Entertainment Director and a Corporate Executive Assistant, primarily oversaw the Landmark's operations for the Wolframs, who lived in Ohio.
In 1982, architect Martin Stern Jr. was hired to design a large expansion of the Landmark. Revenue for the Landmark exceeded $26 million that year, although the resort lost $500,000 during the month of November 1982. Up to that time, the Landmark had lost an average of $3 million every year since its opening.
Federal investigators shut down Wolfram's firm on February 7, 1983, after they discovered $36 million of money missing in six accounts that were managed by him and his wife, ultimately leading to the discovery of his embezzlement. On February 23, 1983, the court allowed Patrick McGraw, Bell & Beckwith trustee, the ability to operate the Landmark until it could be liquidated. The expansion designed by Stern was cancelled, and Ed Wolfram was convicted of embezzling later that year, after admitting to using money from his firm to pay for various businesses ventures, with the Landmark being the most expensive. Zula Wolfram was forced to sell her majority share in the Landmark.
The Landmark was entangled in a Toledo bankruptcy court in July 1983, at which point Bill Morris, a Las Vegas lawyer, began plans to purchase the resort. Morris was also a member of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and had previously owned the Holiday Inn Center Strip hotel-casino, as well as the Riverside Resort in nearby Laughlin, Nevada. In August 1983, two minority shareholders in the Landmark attempted to stop Morris' purchase of the resort. The struggling Landmark had a profitable month in November 1983, when Morris took over ownership and operations.
The Landmark's never really been given a fair chance. First, there has never been on-hands management on a day-in, day-out basis. Second, the operators have all tried to make the property do something it was not meant to do. They tried to compete with superstar productions, and a lot of money was lost in that competition. The property is ideally situated to serve the convention authority, and our operational thrust will be in that direction.
Morris, who worked 18 hours a day to ensure the Landmark's success, intended to capitalize on the resort's location with a planned expansion that would feature three 15-story towers with 1,500 hotel rooms, accompanied by a large domed family entertainment center. The expansion was to be built west of the Landmark on 11 acres (4.5 ha) of vacant land that Morris had purchased along with the resort.
The existing structures were renovated with financing from Valley Bank of Nevada. New red stripes were also added along the windows running up the tower and the roof was painted red to match. The entrance had red-lit outriggers added and a new side entrance was added to the casino. The Landmark struggled throughout the 1980s.
Closure and demolition
By January 1990, the Landmark had entered Chapter 7 bankruptcy, while $43 million to $46 million was owed to various creditors. Morris' gaming license expired that month after the resort failed to pay $500,000 in taxes and penalties. Richard Davis, a Las Vegas real estate executive and owner of a funeral home, was appointed by the court that month to temporarily operate the resort. On February 21, 1990, the Nevada Gaming Commission extended the gaming license and allowed the resort to stay open for at least two additional weeks while its financial problems were analyzed by state experts. At that time, the hotel had $562,000 in cash, including $175,000 in revenue that had accumulated in the prior six weeks.
By June 1990, the Landmark was struggling. The resort, with 498 rooms, was unable to compete with new megaresorts, and was closed on August 8, 1990. In December 1990, the property was purchased by Lloyds Bank of London for $20 million in order to protect a $25 million loan it had made to Morris in 1988. In June 1991, the hotel's contents were liquidated via an on-site, public sale conducted by NCL/National Content Liquidators, Inc.
By July 1993, representatives of Lloyds Bank had approached the LVCVA about the possibility of purchasing the Landmark. LVCVA was interested in the proposal, with plans to use the Landmark's 21-acre property either for a parking lot or expansion. In September 1993, the LVCVA bought the Landmark for $16.7 million. A year-long debate followed within the LVCVA about the fate of the aged and run-down hotel. Some wanted to make the necessary repairs and re-open it to house convention attendees. Others wanted to demolish the buildings to add 2,000 much-needed parking spaces for the Convention Center. After much protest, it was ultimately decided that the Landmark would be demolished after only three of the fourteen LVCVA board members voted to save the building.
LVCVA paid $800,000 for asbestos removal in the tower. Central Environmental Inc. was hired to remove the asbestos, while AB-Haz Environmental, Inc. was the asbestos removal consultant. In mid-1994, AB-Haz Environmental began removing asbestos insulation from the Landmark. The removal, scheduled for completion in August 1994, took nearly six months. In October 1994, it was announced that the Landmark would be demolished the following month to make way for the 21-acre parking lot. Demolition of the tower was delayed until December 1994, before being delayed again to January 1995, to allow for the removal of additional asbestos. By that time, the Clark County Health District had proposed penalties against the asbestos companies.
By February 1995, AB-Haz had twice declared the Landmark to be asbestos-free and safe for demolition, although Clark County officials discovered that some hotel floors still contained 90 percent of the original asbestos. Up to that time, LVCVA had already paid a total of $1 million to the asbestos companies to have the asbestos removed from the hotel and an adjacent apartment complex, allowing for their demolition. The Clark County Air Pollution Control Division recommended a $450,000 fine against AB-Haz for failure to remove the asbestos, while LVCVA would have to spend an additional $1 million for further asbestos removal. AB-Haz was ultimately cited for violating air emission standards during the asbestos removal, and signed a settlement in which the company agreed to pay an $18,000 fine. Central Environmental was removing asbestos from the tower as of August 1995. Because of previous delays, officials for LVCVA had given up on setting a demolition date until all the asbestos was removed.
Controlled Demolition, Inc. (CDI) was hired to demolish the resort. No blueprints could be found for the tower, which CDI president Mark Loizeaux considered unusual. Demolition crews discovered secret stairwells in the tower, and Loizeaux said, "We have learned everything as we have gone in. It was a very strange structure, very unique." A week before the Landmark tower was demolished, crews removed the remaining asbestos from the low-rise structures and subsequently tore them down. Crews then spent the final days of demolition by drilling in the tower to weaken and prepare it ahead of its planned implosion. Less than 100 pounds of dynamite was placed in certain locations throughout the tower's first four floors.
At 5:37 a.m. on November 7, 1995, the Landmark tower was demolished in 17 seconds through implosion. Upon detonation, the tower's northwest half was brought down, followed by the second half, which caved in on itself, followed by a black cloud of dust ascending 150 feet into the air. Most of the material from the demolished structure was to be recycled and used in other construction projects. The 31-story tower was the tallest reinforced concrete building ever demolished in North America, and the second tallest building in the world to be demolished. Frank Wright, curator of the Nevada State Museum and Historical Society, said "I kind of hate to see it come down. It still represents what the Stratosphere represents, the biggest and the tallest." The property was to become occupied by 2,200 parking spaces, expected to be ready by March 1996.
The property became a 2,948-space parking lot for the Las Vegas Convention Center. One of the Landmark's ground-level signs, with gold and blue cursive neon lettering, was restored by the Neon Museum and installed at the parking lot.
Maps The Landmark Hotel and Casino
Architecture
The Landmark was designed by California architect John W. Jamieson and architect Gerald Moffitt of Edward Hendricks Associates. The architectural firm of Randolph, Johnson, Miller and Associates also worked on the project. The uniquely designed Landmark tower was the first of its kind to be built in Nevada; its design was inspired by the Space Needle tower located in Seattle, Washington. When construction stopped in 1962, the project consisted of 127,614 sq ft (11,855.7 m2) of floor space, and included two basements that were 30 feet deep. The tower's height measured 297 feet, while its diameter measured 60 feet. The tower's dome measured 141 feet in diameter.
Height
The 31-story Landmark tower was the tallest building in the state from 1962 to 1969. In 1967, a revolving letter "L" neon sign was installed at the top of the tower. Excluding its rooftop sign, the tower stood 297 feet (91 m). According to Scherer, the sign measured 40 feet (12 m), and the tower measured 328 feet (100 m), including the sign.
At the time of opening, the Landmark tower was billed as having a height of 346 feet (105 m). By that time, the new 30-story International Hotel had become the tallest building in the state, with its Crown Room being 375 feet (114 m) high. When it was demolished, the tower reportedly stood 356 feet (109 m). According to Emporis, the tower stood 331.50 feet (101.04 m) from the ground to its roof, while the tip raised the height to a total of 364 feet (111 m).
Features
The Landmark tower included 157 hotel rooms, while the remaining units were located on ground level.
Hughes' interior design choices included glowing, red-colored Incan masks, and a wall sculpture made of burnished metal that represented a launch from Cape Kennedy. The interior also included 65 tons of black and white polished marble. The interior was designed by Las Vegas resident Leonard England, and also included $200,000 light fixtures. For the hotel, Hughes replaced 72-inch beds with 80-inch beds, and had color televisions built into the walls of each room. Hughes also had an island built in the middle of the hotel's 240-foot swimming pool, which cost $200,000 and was the longest in the state. The Landmark's pool included waterfalls and three carpeted bridges leading to its center island, which featured palm trees.
The shape and strength of the tower's bubble dome was maintained by perlite concrete and steel girders. The 31-story tower included a high-speed exterior glass elevator, which faced the Las Vegas Strip and took people up to the three-story cupola dome. Elevator Services was hired to install the Landmark's exterior elevator, capable of moving 1,000 feet per minute, allowing people to go from the ground floor to the 31st floor in 20 seconds. It was the fastest elevator in the Western United States. The dome which provided wraparound views of the city. The cupola included the high-rise casino on the 29th floor, offering gamblers views of the city. At the time of opening, the ground-floor casino featured red and black colors, while the upper casino used orange coloring and wood. The showroom and the Cascade Terrace coffee shop were located on the first floor, while a steak and seafood gourmet restaurant known as Towers Restaurant was located on the 27th floor. A Chinese restaurant, the Mandarin Room, operated on the 29th floor. The Skytop Rendezvous, a piano bar and dance floor on the top floor of the 31-story tower, was reopened as a discotheque on February 3, 1975, specializing in middle of the road music. The Landmark was the only major hotel in the state to have a discotheque.
Reception
In 1962, the Los Angeles Times called the $6 million project, "By far the most spectacular project", out of several Las Vegas resorts that were under construction; the newspaper further wrote that the Landmark was "destined to become the Mark Hopkins of Las Vegas." The following year, the Reno Evening Gazette opined that the Landmark had "the most unusual exterior architecture in Nevada." In 1966, Billboard wrote that the mushroom-shaped Landmark tower had "the most spectacular design" of all recent high-rise structures in the city. In 2002, Geoff Carter of Las Vegas Weekly wrote that the demolished Landmark was "Vegas' coolest building and a veritable shrine to 1960s 'Googie' architecture."
Performances
During 1971, the Landmark became well known for its performances by country singers, including Kay Starr, Jimmy Dean, Patti Page, Bobbie Gentry, and Danny Davis with his Nashville Brass band, as well as a four-week show starring Ferlin Husky and Archie Campbell. Frank Sinatra also performed at the resort. Elvis Presley frequently visited the Landmark, where Bobby Darin made one of his final public appearances.
In early 1975, The Jim Halsey Company began Country Music USA, a show at the Landmark that featured a different country music headliner every two to three weeks. The show was usually sold out. Roy Clark and Mel Tillis made their debuts in Country Music USA, as did Freddy Fender. The Oak Ridge Boys made their Las Vegas debut in Country Music USA. Leroy Van Dyke performed in the show during 1975, with Fender as his opening act. Van Dyke performed again at the Landmark later in the 1970s, with Sons of the Pioneers as his opening act. Other artists who performed in Country Music USA included Barbara Fairchild, Johnny Paycheck and Tommy Overstreet, as well as Jody Miller, Roy Head, and Hank Thompson. Country Music USA ran for two years, until 1977.
During Todd's employment as Entertainment Director, the Landmark featured a production show with dancers and showgirls that was titled Spellcaster, named after one of the Wolframs' racing horses. The show ran for approximately eight months.
In popular culture
The unfinished tower briefly appeared in the 1964 film, Viva Las Vegas. In 1971, Sean Connery and stuntmen rode atop the Landmark's exterior elevator as part of filming for scenes in the James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever. In the 1980s, the Landmark appeared in the television series Vega$ and Crime Story. In October 1994, the exterior entrance of the Landmark was lit up for one night so it could be used for outdoor shots as the fictional Tangiers casino, featured in the 1995 film, Casino.
The Landmark's demolition was filmed for use in the 1996 film, Mars Attacks!. In the film, the Landmark was portrayed as the fictional Galaxy Hotel, which is destroyed by an alien spaceship. While buildings are usually gutted to prepare for demolition, electrical wiring and lights were allowed to remain. As part of the movie's special effects, the lights in The Landmark were on before and during the implosion. Pyrotechnics were set off at the base of the tower to simulate the explosive impact of an alien laser. The demolition of the Landmark also appears during the closing credits of the 2003 film, The Cooler.
References
External links
- Slideshow of Landmark photos
- Landmark demolition video
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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