2023 left a mark on Las Vegas: Big positives and some intense growing pains

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — If you haven’t been to Las Vegas in a year or two, the changes will surprise you.

Some are impossible to miss — Sphere, for starters — and some are more subtle — like more desert landscaping. Some have come quickly, but not without months of pain … welcome, F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix. Others have taken years to complete, like Fontainebleau Las Vegas a new gem on the north end of the Strip that stalled in 2009 before its Dec. 13 grand opening.

Some were overdue, like the marathon reconstruction of Charleston Boulevard, which will continue to the west in the coming year. Others seemed rushed, like the Interstate 15-Tropicana interchange with Super Bowl XVIII about to hit Allegiant Stadium.

Others brought joy. The Vegas Golden Knights and the Las Vegas Aces brought championships, with the iconic Stanley Cup on display and the Strip hosting parades in honor of the accomplishments. And some changes were resets, like the Raiders firing coach Josh McDaniels midseason and going with an interim coach who seemed to click with his players.

Don’t blink or you’ll miss it. The rapid-fire changes in 2023 continue to reshape the city, but none left a mark like the upheaval that came with the F1 race. Here’s a look at some of the year’s biggest changes:

LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX: What would Las Vegas do for $1.3 billion? Anything and everything, as the Strip turned into an enormous construction zone beginning in the spring and continuing still. The Nov. 18 nighttime race brought global attention and — maybe — made Las Vegas the new Monaco on the Formula One circuit. Time will tell. By the way, what about that $40 million for repaving costs?

THE PERFORMANCES: The biggest tours brought the brightest stars to Las Vegas in 2023 as Taylor Swift, Blackpink, Beyoncé, Pink and Ed Sheeran played Allegiant Stadium. Fans were delighted and singing along. Swiftees witnessed Allegiant’s first-ever female headliner a few months before she and Travis Kelce became an item. Fans were crushed when Sheeran’s first date was canceled due to technical problems, but he showed up at a wedding chapel and sang to newlyweds to help ease the pain — and then rescheduled until he could perform when October rolled around.

SPHERE: It sprang to life for the Fourth of July and no one has been able to look away since. When Sphere finally opened on Sept. 29, U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere kicked off 40 performances, and the band continues to add dates into 2024 for one of the hottest tickets in town. Postcards from Earth launched director Darren Aronofsky’s presence, with an experience that’s a bit more affordable.

LAKE MEAD RISES: It’s hard to overstate the importance of water to a growing community, and 2023 brought a recovery of sorts. Since 2002, the valley has increased in population by 750,000 people — and it uses about 60% of the water it did back then. And according to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, more people are beginning to follow seasonal watering restrictions, a good sign for the future.

FONTAINEBLEAU: When construction was halted during the Great Recession (2009), the building became a symbol of the economic downturn. Now it’s finished, and the public gets its first glimpse inside of the property that calls itself “the newest chapter in the 70-year history of the iconic Fontainebleau brand.” It could signal a rebirth for the north end of the Strip.

DURANGO CASINO & RESORT: Southwest Las Vegas was already growing, but that turned into a boom when Station Casinos started building its latest hotel-casino. The much-anticipated debut on Dec. 5 is expected to have a second phase to build on its expected success, and then the company could be starting its next project.

UNION CONTRACTS: The Culinary Union and the big resort companies — MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment, Wynn Resorts — worked up to the deadline to reach new contract agreements. A strike would have thrown the Strip into chaos as the F1 race approached. Unions capitalized on resorts’ success, bringing significant raises to their members with a “share the wealth” message.

LAS VEGAS LOOP: New tunnels to the Encore and the Westgate were completed by The Boring Company over the past year. Maps emerged in July revealing proposed routes that would extend farther east, northwest and south than previously discussed. Routes are currently approved through the Strip corridor, extending north to downtown, west to Allegiant Stadium and The Orleans, and east to UNLV. A rendering also emerged showing a proposal for integration with the planned stadium for the A’s on the current site of the Tropicana.

SYMPHONY PARK: Cranes in the downtown area are building the 32-story Cello Tower, a luxury condo project, and Las Vegas revealed a 441-room “dual-branded” hotel at Symphony Park in mid-November. It all adds to a downtown growth spurt coming out of the pandemic.

NFL AND SUPER BOWL LVIII: Football, yes, but Super Bowl LVIII is making an impact on the community in other ways as well. NFL programs and grants are reaching nonprofit groups, and preparation for the game is bringing work for many minority-owned businesses in the valley. All signs point to the Super Bowl coming to Las Vegas regularly, and the NFL is making its presence felt in the community.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS: “Cup in six.” It sounded like a dream, not a plan. But Golden Knights owner Bill Foley was prophetic, and when the team nearly pulled it off their first year in the NHL, there was no denying the possibility. Fans will never forget the 2023 team that brought the cup to Las Vegas, right alongside the 2017 team that helped heal the city with the mantra, “Vegas Strong.” Original “misfit” Jonathan Marchessault won the Conn Smythe Trophy as 2023 NHL Playoff MVP.

LAS VEGAS ACES: A’ja Wilson led the Aces to the WNBA’s first repeat championship in 21 years, defeating the New York Liberty in a matchup that seemed likely when the season began. Wilson might have had a little motivation after the league MVP award went to the Liberty’s Breanna Stewart, but the team overcame the loss of starters Chelsea Gray and Kiah Stokes, winning the series in Game 4. And Wilson took the WNBA Finals MVP award. The champion Aces and Knights have been immortalized in murals along Main Street in the Arts District.

A’S MOVE APPROVED: Sensing a sports theme? It was a big year, and now baseball’s in, too. The A’s won approval from Major League Baseball owners on Nov. 16 to move to Las Vegas, and the team is expected to be in a new $1.5 billion stadium at Tropicana Avenue at the Strip for games in the 2028 season. There are still questions about the games in between as the A’s lease at the Oakland Coliseum expires after the 2024 season. They could get an extension, play some games in Oracle Park in San Francisco, or play at the Triple-A Las Vegas Ballpark — which is looking unlikely.

LAS VEGAS CITY OFFICES: The Civic Plaza site under construction at Main Street and Bonneville Avenue marks a major step to centralize city workers. Construction is coming along after the project began in 2022 at the site, which is adjacent to Las Vegas City Hall and Las Vegas Justice Court downtown.

WATER STREET: Henderson’s historic downtown continues to emerge with a unique feel and great choices for diners. The area commands attention as a family-friendly urban center. Azzurra Cucina Italiana debuted early this year and BLVD Grille opened in July, two of the latest dining additions. Mojave Brewing Company and Lovelady Brewing Company are popular choices.

CENTENNIAL BOWL: For the drivers — more than 100,000 daily — who go through the interchange in the northwest valley, it’s been a slog waiting for ramps to open and cones to disappear. But progress in 2023 brought big steps as the scheduled completion nears in early 2024. When it’s done, it will include 20 total bridges over three decks, and will include a multiuse recreational trail with several miles of new bike lanes and sidewalks.

REDEVELOPMENT STEPS: Redevelopment plans for the sites of the former Texas Station and Fiesta Rancho properties moved forward. North Las Vegas has recruited Agora Realty — the same company involved it its “NLV Village” project — to rebuild the sites with a sports theme that will include involvement from the Golden Knights.

RAIDERS CHANGES: Josh McDaniels out, Jimmy Garoppolo on the bench, Antonio Pierce as the interim coach, and no clear future as the Raiders near the end of their fourth year in Las Vegas at the bottom of the AFC West division. Nowhere to go but up! New minority owner Tom Brady might not have a say in these decisions, but you’ve got to wonder if he’s whispering to Mark Davis.

CANNABIS LOUNGE: The “Sky High Lounge” opened at NuWu Cannabis in July, breaking the barrier as the first Las Vegas pot lounge. Lounges under a limited number of licenses will follow soon, with openings planned at Thrive Cannabis Marketplace and Planet 13.

ROADWAY RENEWALS: The reality is this is happening every day all over the valley. But the Charleston Boulevard rebuild and the Boulder Highway projects show governments are trying to reimagine the possibilities for sorely needed transit.

PUNK ROCK MUSEUM: The 12,000-square-foot museum houses guitars, amps, handwritten lyrics, artwork, clothing and other artifacts from punk rockers through the history of the genre. The museum opened in April and even includes a wedding chapel. It’s on Western Avenue just north of Wyoming Avenue.

ESCAPE IT: The “It”-themed escape room opened in March, and expanded with “Chapter Two” in the late summer. Creator Jason Egan (FrightDome, Escape Blair Witch, The Official SAW Escape) says it’s by far the biggest escape room out there.

TROP-I-15 INTERCHANGE: Las Vegas has been battered into cone submission, and this project might have brought the worst yet. One of the busiest interchanges in the valley became a daily nightmare for “diverging diamond” commuters and tourists who unknowingly dropped into “Dropicana.” We’re in Phase 2 of a project that won’t be over until 2025.

DIAMOND INN: A landmark near the Las Vegas sign closed in November, marking the end of a run that began in the 1940s. The Diamond Inn closed, and its beloved pink elephant no longer has a home.

GATEWAY PLATFORM: One of the curious changes that still has us scratching our heads, installed along Las Vegas Boulevard North near The STRAT. The platform is supposed to be a great place for Instagrammable shots in the area — the Las Vegas Gateway Arches, the 50-foot-tall showgirls and The STRAT.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.