Year-round Las Vegas resort pool aims to be 'the greatest pool in the history of the world'

Ed Komenda, Reno Gazette Journal

LAS VEGAS – Could the pool of the Fremont Street’s forthcoming Circa Resort & Casino be the greatest in the world?

That’s how downtown Las Vegas developer Derek Stevens envisions it, reports the Reno Gazette Journal, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.

“We’re trying to build what I would consider to be the greatest pool in the history of the world,” Stevens said Monday morning, wearing a yellow safety vest and hard hat on a tour of the construction site. “Hopefully it’s something that adds into the Vegas allure to bring more people.”

Greatness, he said, isn't measured in size as much as adaptability.

A temperature control system will allow the pool area to be open 365 days a year, Stevens said.

Circa will feature a multi-tiered pool amphitheater with several pools and a massive screen to generate a watch-party atmosphere for sports fans.
Circa will feature a multi-tiered pool amphitheater with several pools and a massive screen to generate a watch-party atmosphere for sports fans.

But it's the multi-tiered pool amphitheater with a 134-by-41-foot video screen that’s become the heart of Steven’s pitch – a feature that allows for customizable experiences, he said.

"This is going to be a great venue to watch sports, a great place to catch sun, a great place to listen to music," Stevens said, "and a great place for product launches."

The developer called the aquatic center a “destination pool” – a spot that will be at the top of tourist’s lists when they roll through Sin City.

"We expect to be able to do 4,000 people a day," Stevens said.

Derek Stevens is Detroit native who first tossed the dice as a Las Vegas investor in 2006, when he bought a stake with his brother in the Golden Gate on Fremont Street. Today, Stevens owns the D Las Vegas, the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center and the Circa Sportsbook. He's now building the Circa Resort & Casino.
Derek Stevens is Detroit native who first tossed the dice as a Las Vegas investor in 2006, when he bought a stake with his brother in the Golden Gate on Fremont Street. Today, Stevens owns the D Las Vegas, the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center and the Circa Sportsbook. He's now building the Circa Resort & Casino.

By the numbers: Circa's pool

  • 30: cabanas

  • 38: day beds

  • 337: chaise lounges

Slated for a 2020 opening in downtown Las Vegas, Circa will feature 777 rooms and suites.
Slated for a 2020 opening in downtown Las Vegas, Circa will feature 777 rooms and suites.

Downtown Las Vegas grows

Slated to open at the end of 2020, the 777-room Circa will be the first new resort project to be built downtown in decades. And at 458 feet, it will be the tallest.

Stevens is a Detroit native who first tossed the dice as a Las Vegas investor in 2006, when he bought a stake with his brother in the Golden Gate on Fremont Street.

Today, after several years of purchases, Stevens now owns the D Las Vegas, the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center and the Circa Sportsbook.

Circa Resort & Casino is a little different, he said.

“This is the biggest project I’ve ever had," Stevens told the USA TODAY Network. "By a long shot."

Derek Stevens, owner of the forthcoming Circa Casino & Resort.
Derek Stevens, owner of the forthcoming Circa Casino & Resort.

Aside from the massive pool, Circa will include the longest outdoor bar beneath the Fremont Street Experience canopy and a multi-level, stadium-style sportsbook inside a two-level casino.

The first new resort – and soon-to-be tallest at 458 feet – to be built downtown in decades, the Circa will add a slice of cutting-edge flair to a downtown gambling corridor known for the cheap-and-easy old Vegas atmosphere that differentiates it from the larger-than-life draw of the Strip.

This article originally appeared on Reno Gazette Journal: Las Vegas: Circa Resort & Casino aims for the best pool in the world