The Tropicana Dreams of a $100 Million Retail Mall

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It will cost $100 million and won't break ground until the first half of 2014, but when it debuts, the Tropicana Las Vegas will add dozens of new stores, dominating the retail scene on the south end of the Strip.

Tropicana chairman and CEO Alex Yemenidjian says, "God willing," the entire corner of the resort will transform into 275,000 square feet of shopping. He's praying for a late 2015 opening date.

National retail real estate experts RKF are spearheading the leasing of more than 30 stores they hope will draw shoppers, tourists and gamblers away from their MGM Resorts International rivals who figuratively surround them.

The Tropicana is currently accessible via two pedestrian bridges heading from the Excalibur and MGM Grand. They will remain in place and now lead a captive audience right into the mezzanine of the mall. They've calculated more than 100,000 visitors make that walk everyday.

On the ground floor will be a food court with five new fast options. And two large restaurants with wide dining terraces and views of the very busy intersection of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard. Robert Irvine the TV celebrity chef host of Restaurant: Impossible, recently announced he had been looking at restaurant space at the Tropicana for his next restaurant.

Also on the ground level will be the flagship anchor store, which the property currently believes will be a pharmacy along the lines of a Walgreens or a CVS. This store will receive its own escalators to take guests up to their second-floor level.

On the mezzanine level, architects have already calculated the layouts for 30 stores, ranging in size from small 913-square-foot spaces to 12,923-square-foot options with envious views of the Strip.

Currently a half-hearted park, the front of the Tropicana will vanish as the new mall pushes the hotel and casino all the way to the edge of the street. The exterior look will merge a white Miami-style design with lots of glass windows and elaborate digital display signs. The very dramatic promotional description promises shoppers will be "embraced by the casual elegance of an emotionally engaging environment that is irresistible."

Even so, the makeover is so broad it even involves discussions with local transportation authorities to help create a better, safer bus stop on Tropicana Avenue. More than 48,000 riders and 250 buses arrive at this corner of the Strip every day.

While this massive overhaul still needs to work through a few government approval meetings, the initial response to the project has been very enthusiastic, particularly as the Tropicana estimates between 200 to 300 permanent new jobs will be created within the retail complex.
· Tropicana Las Vegas [Official Site]
· All Storecasting [Racked Vegas]