The Landmark was a hotel and casino located in Paradise, Nevada, east of the Las Vegas Strip and across from the Las Vegas Convention Center. Frank Caroll, the project's original owner, purchased the property in 1960. Caroll envisioned Nevada's tallest building being constructed on the site, at a height of 31 stories. In 1961, Caroll opened the Landmark Plaza shopping center and a 120-unit apartment complex, while Fremont Construction began work on the adjacent 31-story tower that September, with completion expected for early 1963. Because of a lack of financing, construction was stopped in 1962, with the tower approximately 80 percent complete.
In 1966, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters provided a $5.5 million construction loan to finish the project, with ownership transferred to a group of investors that included Caroll and his wife. The Landmark's completion and opening was delayed several more times. The Landmark was completed in spring 1968, at which point Caroll was charged with assault and battery. Caroll subsequently withdrew his application for a gaming license and began searching for a buyer, although the charges against him were later dropped. Billionaire Howard Hughes, through Hughes Tool Company, purchased the Landmark in 1969 at a cost of $17.3 million. Hughes spent approximately $3 million to add his own touches to the resort before opening it on July 1, 1969.
The Landmark played host to famous celebrities such as Danny Thomas, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and Freddy Fender's first appearance. However, the resort suffered financial problems after its opening and underwent several ownership changes, none of which resulted in success. The Landmark, unable to compete with new megaresorts, was closed on August 8, 1990.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority purchased the property in 1993 and later demolished the resort in 1995, in order to add a 2,948-space parking lot for its convention center.
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History
Design
In 1960, Kansas City builder Frank Caroll (also known as Frank Caracciolo) purchased 22 acres (8.9 ha) of land at the northwest corner of Convention Center Drive and Paradise Road in Paradise, Nevada, several blocks east of the Las Vegas Strip. Carroll planned to construct a hotel on the property, and chose to have the building's design be based on Seattle's Space Needle tower, which later opened in 1962. Carroll hired California architect John W. Jamieson to design a tower similar to the Space Needle, but shorter in height.
Carroll hoped for the Landmark to become the tallest structure in Nevada, at 15 stories. However, the developers of The Mint hotel in downtown Las Vegas announced plans for a 26-story hotel, which ultimately opened in 1965. Carroll had the Landmark redesigned to give the tower a new height of 31 stories. Carroll had a $3 million loan from the Appliance Buyers Credit Corporation, which provided credit to consumers who purchased Whirlpool washers and dryers. However, Carroll needed $10 million to build the redesigned tower.
Construction
In 1961, Carroll opened the Landmark Plaza shopping center, as well as a 120-unit apartment complex, both west of the site for the adjacent tower. Fremont Construction, owned by L. P. Scherer of Redlands, California, began construction of the tower at the end of September 1961, under a $1.5 million contract. Completion was planned for early 1963. Edward Hendricks of Los Angeles was contracted to oversee the tower construction. Construction of the steel reinforced concrete tower, using a patented method of concrete slip forming, was directed by the San Francisco office of MacDonald Engineering, of Chicago.
In March 1962, at the request of Caroll, Clark County Commissioners removed a restriction which specified that gaming licenses could only be issued for ground-level casinos, as Caroll planned to have a casino on the Landmark's second floor. The Los Angeles Times called the $6 million project, "By far the most spectacular project", out of several Las Vegas resorts that were under construction; the newspaper further wrote that the Landmark was "destined to become the Mark Hopkins of Las Vegas." The Reno Evening Gazette opined that the Landmark had "the most unusual exterior architecture in Nevada."
In December 1962, construction of the tower was stopped when Appliance Buyers Credit Corporation refused to provide the additional money needed to complete it. The tower was approximately 80 percent complete. In May 1963, Appliance Buyers was planning a sale of the apartments, shopping center, and unfinished tower on June 22, 1963. Carroll and his wife filed a $2.1 million damage suit against Appliance Buyers and sought to halt the sale. In October 1964, a sale of the tower was approved for later that month, after being requested by Appliance Buyers, which was still owed $3.5 million by Landmark Plaza Corporation. Up to that time, the tower had been appraised several times and was valued between $8 million and $9 million.
In August 1966, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters - a known source of loans for several Las Vegas resorts that were secretly operated by mobsters - provided a $5.5 million construction loan for the project. By that time, ownership had been transferred to Plaza Tower, Inc., made up of several investors, including Frank Caroll and his wife Sue Caroll, and L. P. Scherer, whose construction company was awarded a $2.5 million contract to finish the Landmark tower. Because of legal problems involved with the project, the acquisition of title required over 5,000 hours of legal work and the settlements of more than 40 lawsuits.
At the time, the project consisted of 127,614 sq ft (11,855.7 m2) of floor space, and included two basements that were 30 feet deep. The tower's height measured 297 feet and 11 inches, while its diameter measured 60 feet. The tower's dome measured 141 feet in diameter. The adjacent Landmark apartments were to be converted into 524 hotel rooms for the new resort. Construction was to resume on August 22, 1966, with completion expected in early 1967. At the time, Billboard wrote that the mushroom-shaped, 160-room Landmark tower had "the most spectacular design" of all recent high-rise structures in the city. The uniquely designed tower was the first of its kind to be built in Nevada.
The Landmark had been scheduled to open on September 15, 1967, but its opening was further delayed because of construction problems. In October 1967, a new opening date of November 15 was announced, with an official grand opening to be held on December 31, 1967. By the time of its planned opening, the tower was nearly complete, as well as a single-story hotel building. However, Carroll had not yet obtained a state gambling license. At that time, the tower was scheduled for opening in mid-January 1968. Caroll withdrew his request for a gaming license and began looking for a buyer after he was charged with assault and battery, although the charges were later dropped.
The Landmark was put up for sale in April 1968. Several companies made purchase offers that were ultimately rejected, including Rosco Industries Inc., based in Los Angeles. The Landmark was completed in spring 1968, and was the tallest structure in Nevada, with its 31-story tower standing 346 feet.
Hughes purchase
In October 1968, billionaire Howard Hughes agreed to purchase the Landmark for $17.3 million. The United States Department of Justice then launched an antitrust investigation into Hughes' proposed purchase, after previously investigating his attempt to purchase the Stardust Resort and Casino, a transaction that he was blocked from completing for antitrust reasons. As part of the investigation, the Department of Justice attempted to determine if there were other prospective buyers for the Landmark.
By December 1968, while the Department of Justice continued its investigation, negotiations were underway with several firms that were interested in purchasing the Landmark, which included a $20 million offer from Tanger Industries, a holding company based in El Monte, California. It was reported that Hughes' attempted purchase would be rejected by the Department of Justice, despite his offer to convert the building into office space.
In January 1969, the Department of Justice approved Hughes' plan to purchase the Landmark. In March 1969, Hughes applied for approval to operate the Landmark's gambling operations. Hughes planned to operate the casino through his Nevada company, Hughes Properties Inc., which was overseen by Hughes executive Edward H. Nigro. Hughes planned for the resort to include 26 table games and 401 slot machines. The following month, Hughes received approval from the Nevada Gaming Control Board and from the state, and planned to have the resort opened on July 1, 1969.
The Landmark was purchased through Hughes Tool Company. The sale was officially completed in June 1969. Hughes covered the cost of Carroll's debts with the project's contractors. The Landmark was the only casino that Hughes had purchased before it was opened. As a result, Hughes was heavily involved in details regarding the project. Hughes spent approximately $3 million to give the interior a lavish design and to add other touches to the resort. Hughes added an Incan and Space Age theme to the resort's interior, which included glowing, red-colored Incan masks, and a wall sculpture made of burnished metal that represented a launch from Cape Kennedy. The interior also included 65 tons of black-and-white polished marble. The interior was designed by Las Vegas resident Leonard England, and also included $200,000 light fixtures. For the hotel, Hughes replaced 72-inch beds with 80-inch beds, and had color televisions built into the walls of each room. Hughes also had an island built in the middle of the hotel's 240-foot rooftop swimming pool, which cost $200,000 and was the longest in the state. The exterior of the Landmark buildings was left unchanged.
In June 1969, Sun Realty filed a claim against Plaza Tower, Inc., thus threatening the opening of the Landmark. Sun Realty alleged that it was owed a $500,000 finder's fee for locating Hughes as a buyer. The case was dismissed on June 25, 1969, allowing the resort to open as scheduled.
Opening
The Landmark opened on the night of July 1, 1969, a day before the opening of Kirk Kerkorian's resort across the street: the International Hotel. Also across the street was the Las Vegas Convention Center. Apollo 10 astronauts Thomas P. Stafford and Eugene Cernan attended the grand opening, and were the first people to enter the new resort. Hughes did not attend the grand opening. For opening night, Hughes had comedian Danny Thomas perform in the Landmark's 500-seat showroom.
Although promoters for the Landmark claimed that it was the tallest building in the state at 346 feet, officials for the International Hotel stated that its 30th-floor Crown Room was 375 feet above the ground. The 31-story tower included an exterior glass elevator - facing the Las Vegas Strip - which took people up to the three-story cupola, which provided wraparound views of the city. The cupola, made of glass and metal, included a steakhouse and Chinese restaurant on the first floor, as well as a small 3,000 sq ft (280 m2) casino. while the second floor contained a coffee shop and a lounge. A nightclub was located on the top floor, and was capable of holding over 200 people. At the exterior top of the tower was a revolving red neon "L" sign, which became well known after the Landmark's opening. The resort's ground-level sign included the word "Landmark" outlined in blue neon, while flashing red lights filled the interior of the letters.
The Landmark's marble entrance led to the first-floor casino and the showroom. The resort had a total of 400 slot machines. The ground-floor casino was 14,000 sq ft (1,300 m2), while the 29th-floor casino was the first high-rise casino in the state. The ground-floor casino featured red and black colors, while the upper casino used orange coloring and wood. The hotel contained 476 rooms and 27 suites. Some rooms were located in ground-level buildings alongside the tower, while other rooms were located within the shaft of the tower itself. The Landmark's lagoon-like swimming pool was located on the tower's west side. The pool, similar to Hollywood's Landmark Hotel, included bridges leading to its island, which had palm trees and chaise longues, with a two-story waterfall beside it.
Operation
Despite the Landmark's features and its proximity to the convention center, the property suffered financially shortly after opening as a result of being several blocks away from the Las Vegas Strip. The Landmark was unable to attract high rollers, while some guests complained that the hotel rooms were too small. The Landmark lost millions of dollars in its first year.
In October 1969, Sun Realty filed a damages lawsuit against Hughes Tool Company and Plaza Tower, Inc, alleging that the two companies conspired to avoid paying the realty company its $500,000 finder's fee. Aside from the finder's fee, Sun Realty also sought an additional $5 million in punitive damages. In February 1971, the Nevada supreme court rejected the lawsuit, which had sought $3 million by that time.
During 1971, the Landmark became well known for its performances by country singers, including Kay Starr, Jimmy Dean, Patti Page, Bobbie Gentry, and Danny Davis with his Nashville Brass band, as well as a four-week show starring Ferlin Husky and Archie Campbell. Many other top performers, such as Liberace, George Burns, Pat Cooper, and Phyllis Diller performed at the hotel, but this practice did not continue, as the Landmark was not a high profit venture.
In April 1971, plans were announced for a $750,000 expansion that would include luxury suites on the 29th floor, the highest in Las Vegas at the time. Also planned was the remodeling of the casino and lobby, and the expansion of a coffee shop. In January 1973, Howard Hughes left Las Vegas and his properties, including Landmark, were transferred to Summa Corporation. Throughout the 1970s, continuing financial troubles and bad publicity plagued Landmark. In 1974, William Bennett and William Pennington made an offer to buy the Landmark; they bought Circus Circus instead.
The Skytop Rendezvous, a piano bar and dance floor on the top floor of the 31-story tower, was reopened as a discotheque on February 3, 1975, specializing in middle of the road music. The Landmark was the only major hotel in the state to have a discotheque. On July 15, 1977, carbon monoxide gas leaked into the hotel's air conditioning system killing 1 guest and injuring 138 others. This also caused a power failure and was found to be the result of flooding in the sub-basement.
By the late 1970s, The Landmark was in major financial trouble. Summa Corp. began selling off its hotel properties, and the Landmark was at the top of the list. Ed and Zula Wolfram of Grand Rapids, Ohio purchased the Landmark from Summa Corp in 1978 using and account in Zula's name with funds Ed was embezzling from his brokerage firm, Bell & Beckwith. They had little success in turning the troubled hotel around. In 1983, Ed Wolfram was convicted of embezzling $47 million from Bell & Beckwith. On February 23, 1983, the court allowed Patrick McGraw, Bell & Beckwith trustee, the ability to operate the Landmark until it could be liquidated.
In 1983, William "Wildcat" Morris, a former college football player and a Las Vegas investor, purchased the Landmark. Morris financed renovations through Valley Bank of Nevada. Renovations were performed on the hotel rooms, restaurants, and the cupola, which included the addition of a new nightclub. New red stripes were also added along the windows running up the tower and the roof was painted red to match. The entrance had red-lit outriggers added and a new side entrance was added to the casino. The Landmark emerged in 1984 as "The NEW Landmark".
Closure and demolition
Morris' renovations did not help the Landmark, and he subsequently went bankrupt. The Landmark, with 498 rooms, was unable to compete with new megaresorts, and was closed on August 8, 1990. In December 1990, the property was purchased by Lloyds Bank of London for $20 million in order to protect a $25 million loan it had made to Morris in 1988. In June 1991, the hotel's contents were liquidated via an on-site, public sale conducted by NCL/National Content Liquidators, Inc. In September 1993, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (which owns the Las Vegas Convention Center) bought the Landmark for $16.7 million. A year-long debate followed within the L.V.C.V.A. about the fate of the aged and run-down hotel. Some wanted to make the necessary repairs and re-open it to house convention attendees. Others wanted to demolish the buildings to add 2,000 much-needed parking spaces for the Convention Center. After much protest, it was ultimately decided that the Landmark would be demolished after only three of the fourteen LVCVA board members voted to save the building.
In mid-1994, AB-Haz Environmental began removing asbestos insulation from the Landmark. The company was cited for violating air emission standards during the removal. AB-Haz signed a settlement in which the company agreed to pay an $18,000 fine. In early 1995, Maryland-based Controlled Demolition, Inc. and California-based Iconco Inc., began clearing the property and prepping the tower with 100 pounds of explosives. The casino, shops, and room wings were cleared away leaving only the gutted tower. At 5:35AM on November 7, 1995, the Landmark was demolished in 17 seconds. The property which once housed the Landmark became a 2,948-space parking lot for the Las Vegas Convention Center. One of the Landmark's ground-level signs, with gold and blue cursive lettering, was restored by the Neon Museum and installed at the parking lot.
The Landmark Resort Myrtle Beach Video
In popular culture
The unfinished tower is featured in the background for a scene in the 1963 film, Viva Las Vegas. In 1971, Sean Connery and stuntmen rode atop the Landmark's exterior elevator as part of filming for scenes in the James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever. During the 1980s, The Landmark had recurring roles in the television series Vega$ and Crime Story. In October 1994, the exterior of the Landmark was remodeled to be used for outdoor shots as the fictional Tangiers casino, featured in the 1995 film, Casino.
The Landmark's demolition was filmed for use in the 1996 film, Mars Attacks!. While buildings are usually gutted to prepare for demolition, electrical wiring and lights were allowed to remain. As part of the movie's special effects, the lights in The Landmark were on before and during the implosion. The Landmark was portrayed in the film as the fictional "Galaxy Hotel". Pyrotechnics were set off at the base of the tower to simulate the explosive impact of an alien laser.
The demolition of the Landmark also appears at the finale of the 2003 feature film The Cooler, starring William H. Macy, Maria Bello, and Alec Baldwin.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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