It's hard to spend time in Las Vegas and not shudder at least a little bit at the thought of how much energy and water is being wasted on, well, everything. The Las Vegas CityCenter, scheduled to be unveiled next week at the National Clean Energy Summit, aims to change that by becoming an $8.5 billion, 18-million-square-foot sustainable development.
When completed later this year, the CityCenter will feature a 4,004-room gaming resort, multiple non-gaming luxury hotels, residential luxury buildings, and a 500,000-square-foot retail and entertainment district. Standard Vegas fare, except for the fact that the MGM Mirage and Infinity World Development Corp. venture is seeking LEED Silver or Gold certification. The project will also use specially designed water fixtures to save up to 39% of water indoors and 60% outdoors, the first fleet of compressed natural gas-powered limousines, an 8.5 megawatt cogeneration plant to provide 10% of its electricity, and energy-efficient HVAC, lighting and room controls. In the end, the CityCenter will save the equivalent of 7,700 homes' worth of energy compared to standard Vegas developments.
Would it be better if the CityCenter wasn't being built at all? Of course, but chances are it will play up its green credentials to differentiate it from other gaming and hotel complexes. That means guests who might not otherwise pay attention to sustainability will have the chance to learn about saving energy and water and how it doesn't necessarily mean living in a dark cabin (now that they've lost all their money at the tables).
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Recent Comments | 4 Total
August 8, 2009 at 12:08pm by Todd McCalla
Great point that it will be an eye opener for people otherwise not exposed to sustainable or renewable building. In Cool Springs
TN where I live, green building and LEED projects are omnipresent in the news and conversation. Easy to forget how much of the population is not educated or informed about green friendly building.
August 9, 2009 at 10:59pm by James Newport
How presumptuous of you to proclaim that "Of course" the City Center shouldn't be built at all. You, who have invested nothing in the project. You might try asking the men who foot the $8.5 billion bill if they have any good reasons why they should build their center, or later quiz the millions of future new customers that will surely find the center delightful.
Implicit in what you say is that casinos and hotels and living quarters shouldn't be built because they are bad for the environment because they use "too much" energy. Too much by whose standard? You may as well take your logic to the next step and say that humans shouldn't change the world to make it more comfortable to live. It might come as a surprise to you that the world is naturally hostile to human life. A further surprise might be that that Los Vegas used to be completely uninhabitable. Was that scenario more pleasing to you?
Personally, I can't wait to visit the CityCenter to see all of the amazing things that will be built. It will undoubtedly dazzle, thanks to a lot of planning and execution of changing the world's naturally hostile landscape.
September 16, 2009 at 2:44pm by stephanie steinberg
What they don't want you to know is that this "green" project is going to allow indoor smoking.
The USGBC has condoned indoor air pollution at this project and others from secondhand smoke, a gaseous substance that contains 4,000 chemicals, 50 of which are cancer causing.
Not only will CityCenter allow smoking in the casino, in the hotel rooms, in the condo units, in the night clubs, etc., but they are getting huge property and sales tax breaks for getting certified.
What a sell out by the USGBC! There is nothing healthy about breathing secondhand smoke. Yet, the employees of CityCenter and the public will be breathing "grey" secondhand smoke.
If you want cancer, go to this "green" project!
September 16, 2009 at 2:44pm by stephanie steinberg
What they don't want you to know is that this "green" project is going to allow indoor smoking.
The USGBC has condoned indoor air pollution at this project and others from secondhand smoke, a gaseous substance that contains 4,000 chemicals, 50 of which are cancer causing.
Not only will CityCenter allow smoking in the casino, in the hotel rooms, in the condo units, in the night clubs, etc., but they are getting huge property and sales tax breaks for getting certified.
What a sell out by the USGBC! There is nothing healthy about breathing secondhand smoke. Yet, the employees of CityCenter and the public will be breathing "grey" secondhand smoke.
If you want cancer, go to this "green" project!