Showcase Mall Explained

Showcase Mall
Location:	Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
Floors:	4

Showcase Mall is a shopping center on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is known for its landmark facade, featuring a 100feet tall Coca-Cola bottle and a colossal bag of M&M's.^{[1] [2]}

History

After the 1989 announcement of plans for the MGM Grand hotel and casino,^[3] attorney Bob Unger recognized the investment potential of an adjacent property where he was handling an eviction case.^[4] Unger approached his friend, banker Barry Fieldman, for financing, and the two partnered to form Makena Development Corp. in 1992.^[5] Makena purchased Island Plaza, a small shopping center on the site that would become the southern part of Showcase Mall. They then beat out MGM in an effort to purchase two gas stations to the north of Island Plaza.

Forest City Enterprises, a national real estate developer with interests in Las Vegas including the Galleria at Sunset mall, signed on to provide additional funding and expertise to the project, taking a 20% ownership stake.^[6]

The first business at the mall, the Official All Star Cafe, opened on December 15, 1996.^[7] An eight-screen United Artists Theater opened in March 1997.^[8]

Island Plaza was demolished in 1999 to make way for the second phase of Showcase Mall,^[9] with of retail space and a $33-million budget.^[10] The second phase, south of the original building, opened in 2000, featuring a gift shop with an interior designed to resemble the Grand Canyon.^{[11] [12]}

North of the original portion of the mall, a parcel occupied by a Denny's restaurant was earmarked for a third phase of construction. In 2003, Westgate Resorts announced a $180-million plan to build a 54-story tower with over 700 timeshare units on the Denny's site.^{[13] [14]} Facing strong opposition from MGM Grand and concerns from county officials about the size of the project,^[15] the plan was scaled back to 42 stories,^[16] but was ultimately rejected by the Clark County Commission.^[17]

In 2005, the developers sold the first phase of the mall for $142 million, to a partnership of San Francisco-based City Center Retail and New York investment firm Angelo Gordon & Co.^[18] The buyers also spent $30 million to acquire a leasehold interest in the Denny's site.^[19]

The mall's third phase was built in 2009 with 97,400 square feet of space, anchored by a Hard Rock Cafe and a Ross Dress For Less store.^[20] The City Center / Angelo Gordon partnership sold this portion of the mall in 2011 to Unilev Capital Corp., a California real estate investment company, for $93.5 million.

In July 2014, City Center and Angelo Gordon sold the original center section of the mall for $145 million to a partnership between the Nakash family (founders of Jordache) and investor Eli Gindi.^[21] The Nakashes and Gindi, along with home-curtains manufacturer Elyahu Cohen, then purchased the third, northern section of the mall from Unilev Capital for $139.5 million in January 2015.^[22] The Nakashes and Gindi consolidated their control of the mall in December 2015, buying the southern portion from Fieldman for $82.9 million.^[23]

A planned expansion of the mall was approved in September 2017. Earlier in the year, the Nakashes and Gindi had paid $59.5 million to purchase a building to the north of the mall, which had previously housed the Smith & Wollensky steakhouse. Plans called for the building to be demolished and replaced with a new four-story, 145000square feet building.^[24] It would be anchored by Target and Burlington department stores.^{[25] [26]} Both stores opened in 2020 in the new building.

Notable tenants

• Adidas Performance Center — A three-story store selling sports apparel.^[27] Opened in 2004.^[28]
• Aerie — A two-story lingerie store, opened in 2018.^[29]
• BrewDog — A 30000square feet rooftop brewpub, the largest location in the international chain.^[30] Opened in 2022 in the mall's fourth phase, at a cost of $17 million.^{[31] [32]}
• Burlington — A 50000square feet discount department store. Opened in 2020 in the mall's fourth phase.^{[33] [34] [35]}
• Coca-Cola Store — A two-story gift shop. Opened in 1997 as the World of Coca-Cola, a four-story facility, with the upper two floors containing a museum showcasing the history of Coca-Cola.^[36] The museum portion closed in 2000.^[37]
• FlyOver — A flying theater motion simulator attraction, located in the former movie theater space at the base of the mall's parking garage. Opened in 2021.^{[38] [39]}
• Food court — Opened in 2003 with nine fast-food outlets.^{[40] [41]}
• Hard Rock Cafe — A three-story facility including a restaurant, live music venue, and gift shop.^[42] Opened in 2009.
• Lids — A two-story, 12000square feet flagship store, the largest location for the sports apparel chain, opened in 2022.^[43]
• M&M's World — A four-story store selling M&M's candy and merchandise.^[44] Opened in 1997.^[45]
• Olive Garden — Italian restaurant, opened in 2021 on the third floor of the mall's fourth phase.^{[46] [47]}
• Raising Cane's — A two-story flagship location of the fast-food chicken finger chain, opened in 2022.^{[48] [49]}
• T-Mobile — A two-story flagship store for the mobile phone provider.^{[50] [51]} Opened in 2018.
• Target — A 20000square feet "small-format" location of the discount retail store chain. Opened in 2020 in the mall's fourth phase.^[52]

Former tenants

• American Eagle — A two-story flagship store for the apparel retailer, opened in 2018.^[53]
• Arcadia Earth — A 17000square feet immersive art installation with an environmental theme, opened in 2022.^{[54] [55] [56]}
• Designer Shoe Warehouse — A flagship store for the shoe retailer, in the mall's basement.^{[57] [58]} Opened in 2018.^[59]
• GameWorks — A video arcade and restaurant. Opened in 1997 in a basement space now occupied by Marshalls.^{[60] [61] [62]} Closed in 2012.^{[63] [64]}
• Grand Canyon Experience — A two-story gift shop built to resemble the Grand Canyon.^[65] Opened in 2000 as part of the mall's second phase. Closed in 2017.^{[66] [67]}
• Official All Star Cafe — A three-story theme restaurant featuring sports memorabilia. Opened in 1996.^{[68] [69]} Closed in 2000.^[70]
• Tickets2Nite — A discount ticket broker located in the mall's atrium. Opened in 2002 as the first discount ticket outlet in Las Vegas, inspired by New York's TKTS booth.^{[71] [72]} Moved out by 2008.^[73]
• United Artists Theaters — An eight-screen movie theater, located at the base of the mall's parking garage. Opened in 1997.^[8] Closed in 2018.^[74]

Notes and References

1. News: Expansion planned by new Showcase mall owner. Las Vegas Sun. Jennifer Shubinski. February 28, 2005. 2015-07-18.
2. News: Portion of Showcase mall sold for $93.5 million. Las Vegas Review-Journal. September 30, 2011. Hubble Smith. 2015-07-18.
3. News: MGM Grand expands its plan to build Las Vegas studio theme park and hotel. Wall Street Journal. David J.. Jefferson. October 4, 1989.
4. News: It's the real thing: Coke in Las Vegas. Las Vegas Sun. July 7, 1997. NewsBank.
5. News: Developers show off glitzy Showcase. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Tim Willert. April 23, 1997. NewsBank.
6. News: Partners with panache. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Dave Berns. September 23, 1997. NewsBank.
7. News: Showcase hopes to be real thing. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Monica Caruso. December 14, 1996. NewsBank.
8. News: Strip gets its first multiplex with UA's Showcase 8. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Carol Cling. March 7, 1997. NewsBank.
9. News: Tumbling down. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Jeff Scheid. November 13, 1999. NewsBank.
10. News: $33 million expansion to feature replica of Grand Canyon. Las Vegas Sun. September 27, 1999. 2015-07-20.
11. News: Showcase expansion tenant is revealed. Las Vegas Sun. July 26, 1999. 2015-07-18.
12. News: Strip retail centers tout expansion plans. Las Vegas Sun. Phil Levine. May 22, 2000. 2015-07-18.
13. News: Strip project planned. Las Vegas Sun. January 10, 2003. 2015-07-21.
14. News: County orders traffic study for time share tower. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Hubble Smith. July 3, 2003. NewsBank.
15. News: Westgate trims time-share plans. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Hubble Smith. April 10, 2003. NewsBank.
16. News: Scaled-down plan approved. Las Vegas Sun. May 13, 2003. NewsBank.
17. News: Panel denies high-rise project. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Hubble Smith. September 4, 2003. NewsBank.
18. News: Gaming Wire. Las Vegas Review-Journal. February 22, 2005. Chris Jones. NewsBank.
19. News: Expansion planned by new Showcase mall owner. Las Vegas Sun. Jennifer Shubinski. February 28, 2005. 2015-07-20.
20. News: Portion of Showcase mall sold for $93.5 million. Las Vegas Review-Journal. September 30, 2011. Hubble Smith. 2018-01-23.
21. News: Sale of Showcase Mall a rarity among Las Vegas Strip properties. Vegas Inc.. Eli Segall. July 2, 2014. 2015-07-18.
22. News: For $140 million, another portion of mall on Las Vegas Strip changes hands. Vegas Inc.. Eli Segall. January 15, 2015. 2015-07-18.
23. News: Final part of Showcase Mall on Strip sold for $83 million. Vegas Inc.. Eli Segall. December 9, 2015. 2015-12-09.
24. News: Showcase Mall on Las Vegas Strip plans to expand. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Eli Segall. September 20, 2017. 2017-09-21.
25. News: Target, Burlington to open stores on Las Vegas Strip. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Wade Tyler Millward. August 1, 2018. 2019-02-16.
26. News: Target opening Las Vegas Strip store at Showcase Mall. Las Vegas Sun. Mick Akers. August 1, 2018. 2019-02-16.
27. News: Adidas attraction set for Strip. Las Vegas Sun. Jennifer Shubinski. May 25, 2004. 2015-07-22.
28. News: Adidas Performance Center store opens. Las Vegas Sun. July 23, 2004. 2015-07-22.
29. News: American Eagle Outfitters, Aerie to open on Las Vegas Strip. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Wade Tyler Millward. June 28, 2018. 2019-01-17.
30. News: BrewDog set to open largest venue ever and first visitors could win a $1 million bar tab. The Scotsman. Scott Reid. October 13, 2022. 2023-05-27.
31. News: A 1st look inside the $17M rooftop brewpub opening on the Strip. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Johnathan L. Wright. November 23, 2022. 2023-05-27.
32. News: World-renowned brand BrewDog sets up its first Las Vegas location. Las Vegas Magazine. Kiko Miyasato. January 6, 2023. 2023-05-27.
33. News: Target, Burlington to open stores on Las Vegas Strip. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Wade Tyler Millward. August 1, 2018. 2020-08-26.
34. News: On Las Vegas Strip, splashy stores elbow in alongside casinos. The New York Times. Joe Gose. December 10, 2019. 2020-08-26.
35. News: Burlington reopens Las Vegas stores with steep discounts. KSNV-TV. May 22, 2020. 2020-08-26.
36. News: Museum in a bottle. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Carol Cling. July 6, 1997. NewsBank.
37. News: Coke, a symbol for LV, to close much of Strip attraction. Las Vegas Sun. Richard N. Velotta. Phil Levine. February 25, 2000. NewsBank.
38. News: I rode the new Las Vegas attraction that makes it feel like you're flying over popular landmarks. KTLA-TV. Rich DeMuro. September 3, 2021. 2021-11-14.
39. News: A former Disney Imagineer creates immersive flight ride FlyOver Las Vegas. Las Vegas Weekly. C. Moon Reed. November 11, 2021. 2021-11-14.
40. News: Wendy's has high hopes for new Strip locations. Las Vegas Sun. Liz Benston. September 9, 2003. 2015-07-26.
41. News: Strip retail projects evolving with times. Las Vegas Business Press. George Connor. May 16, 2003. NewsBank.
42. News: Hard Rock opens second cafe in Las Vegas. Las Vegas Sun. Amanda Finnegan. September 5, 2009. 2015-07-22.
43. News: Lids opens its largest store ever on the Strip. Las Vegas Review-Journal. September 16, 2022. Sean Hemmersmeier. 2023-05-07.
44. News: M&M's World store on Strip set for expansion. Las Vegas Sun. Amanda Finnegan. June 25, 2010. 2015-07-22.
45. News: M&M heaven. Las Vegas Review-Journal. John Gurzinski. October 9, 1997. NewsBank.
46. News: Olive Garden to open eatery on Strip. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Eli Segall. December 17, 2020. 2021-11-14.
47. Web site: Glorious Olive Garden opens on Las Vegas Strip, haters invited to suck it. Vital Vegas. September 18, 2021. 2021-11-14.
48. News: Raising Cane’s opens first-ever two-story restaurant on Strip. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Johnathan L. Wright. July 18, 2022. 2023-05-27.
49. News: Raising Canes to open 2-story location on Las Vegas Strip. Caitlin Lilly. July 18, 2022. 2023-05-27.
50. News: T-Mobile opens its first ever 2-story store on the Strip. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Wade Tyler Millward. January 5, 2018. 2018-01-24.
51. News: T-Mobile customer care czar: Calls per customer down 31% since 'Uncarrier' launch. FierceWireless. Mike Dano. October 5, 2017. 2018-01-24.
52. News: New Target store opens on Las Vegas Strip. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Eli Segall. August 12, 2020. 2020-08-26.
53. News: Customize your clothes at new American Eagle on Las Vegas Strip. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Janna Karel. December 21, 2018. 2019-01-17.
54. News: Arcadia Earth set to debut on the Strip. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Jason Bracelin. December 10, 2021. 2023-05-27.
55. News: 'Arcadia Earth,' interactive art exhibit coming to Las Vegas, makes climate education fun. KTNV-TV. Amy Abdelsayed. January 8, 2022. 2023-05-27.
56. News: Best Educational Attraction: Arcadia Earth. Las Vegas Weekly. June 16, 2022. 2023-05-27.
57. News: Las Vegas goes from gambling halls to shopping malls . Philadelphia Inquirer. Suzette Parmley. June 2, 2017. 2018-08-17.
58. News: Shoe retailer DSW opening second Las Vegas location. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Wade Tyler Millward. March 14, 2017. 2018-08-17.
59. Designer Shoe Warehouse opens store on the Las Vegas Strip. DSW Inc.. August 7, 2018. PR Newswire. 2018-08-17.
60. News: GameWorks to entertain at Showcase. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Monica Caruso. April 10, 1997. NewsBank.
61. News: It's time for the Fun Expo in Las Vegas. Las Vegas Sun. September 23, 1997. 2018-01-23.
62. Web site: Marshalls Pimps Out Its Strip Location, Opening Next Week. Susan. Stapleton. 16 October 2013. Racked Vegas.
63. News: After 15 years, GameWorks closing on Strip, looking for new location to serve locals. Las Vegas Sun. Conor Shine. February 23, 2012. 2018-01-23.
64. News: Vegas GameWorks finds new life at Town Square. KVVU-TV. Matt Guillermo. May 16, 2013. 2018-01-23.
65. News: The grand illusion. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Matthew Crowley. September 27, 1999. NewsBank.
66. News: Showcase Mall on Las Vegas Strip plans $1.16M in construction. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Wade Tyler Millward. June 7, 2017. 2018-01-23.
67. Web site: Grand Canyon Experience revamps at Grand Bazaar Shops. Eater.com. Bradley Martin. June 22, 2017. 2018-01-23.
68. News: All Star Cafe latest player in the themed dining game. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Michael Paskevich. December 13, 1996. NewsBank.
69. News: It's official: Strip's All Star Cafe to close. Las Vegas Sun. November 29, 1999. 2018-01-23.
70. News: Aladdin to sell land for condos, hotel. Las Vegas Sun. November 6, 2000. 2018-01-23.
71. News: Discount ticket outlet hopes to attract more show patrons. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Mike Weatherford. October 22, 2002. NewsBank.
72. News: Half-price tickets sold in Las Vegas. Daily News of Los Angeles. November 15, 2002. NewsBank.
73. News: Consumers winning ticket war. Las Vegas Review-Journal. Mike Weatherford. January 20, 2008. NewsBank.
74. News: Showcase Theater closes, leaving Strip without a movie house. Las Vegas Sun. Chris Kudialis. January 23, 2018. 2018-01-23.