3 Las Vegas-area casinos never reopened after shutdowns. Now, they're slated for demolition.
A trio of Station Casinos catering to locals in Southern Nevada are slated for demolition after sitting dormant for more than two years following the Silver State's pandemic-triggered shutdown in 2020.
"While the decision was difficult, throughout our 46-year history, Station Casinos has adapted and grown with the Las Vegas valley," Scott Kreeger, the company's president, said in a statement Friday afternoon announcing the permanent closures of Fiesta Henderson, Fiesta Rancho in Las Vegas and Texas Station in North Las Vegas.
The three casinos were among 20 Station properties that closed its doors for almost three months following Gov. Steve Sisolak's sweeping shutdown order in 2020.
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In August that year, not long after casinos in Nevada were allowed to reopen, Frank Fertitta III, CEO of Station's parent company Red Rock Resorts, had predicted the permanent closures in an earnings call.
"We're going to continue to try to get clarity and navigate the situation to make well-informed decisions," Fertitta said at the time, "but whatever decisions we make will be in the best interest of shareholder value."
Fertitta said then, too, that the future of the off-Strip Palms resort was uncertain, but the property, which sold last year to the San Manuel Indian Tribe, reopened in April
Kreeger said Friday that about one-third of employees from each of the properties were working at another Station Casinos property.
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Following the demolitions, the parcels of land will be sold, which Kreeger said will allow the company to reinvest in its existing properties "and move more quickly to develop and deliver the next generation of Station Casinos resorts.
That next generation includes a $750 million project in southwest Las Vegas, where construction on the Durango Hotel & Casino is underway.
Las Vegas hasn't seen a casino implosion in more than six years, after the 24-story Riviera was leveled in 2016 to make room for convention facilities on the northern end of the Strip. The casino's fall was marked by a celebration that included live music, drinks and a fireworks show.
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Rio Lacanlale is the Las Vegas correspondent for the Reno Gazette Journal and the USA Today Network. Contact her at rlacanlale@gannett.com or on Twitter @riolacanlale. Support local journalism by subscribing to the RGJ today.
This article originally appeared on Reno Gazette Journal: Las Vegas casino operator to demolish 3 casinos for land sale
