I just cruised wikipedia looking for info on Project City Center – mainly because I overheard a conversation on the employee shuttle where one guy was telling another that it was the largest civil engineering project in history – without government funding. The cranes – dozers – heavy equipment are now pounding 24 hours a day. When I hit the employee parking coming in from Las Vegas Blvd., off of Harmon, on Tuesday night, the shuttle had a completely new route to the back of Bellagio. I figure it takes a half hour to take the shuttle in to work now. I usually walk out at night anyway so now I’m walking in – that doesn’t take more than six to eight minutes.

This is the employee parking garage that has been under construction for the last few months, it sits between Harmon and Bellagio, right on Frank Sinatra Blvd. Expected finish date is next month – but it’s always a mystery to me why management knows they need employees to run any establishment, yet they wait for seven to eight years to begin building a structure, for our parking, that’s conveniently located to work.

This shot is taken a few months ago, when the Boardwalk was still standing, but being gutted, from an upper floor of the Boardwalk parking garage. It’s the ‘before’ picture…there’s been a helluva lot of earth moving since then. And pictures will follow to update the project.

And this is really before-before…while the whole Boardwalk Hotel was still standing and employee parking was being cordoned off to start construction:

This is the Happy Clown Face that one saw on the Strip a few months ago when the Boardwalk was still standing:

This is what the backside of Happy Clown looks like now:

And before implosion, one could barely make out MGM and New York New York through the floors of the building:

No problem now – there are no rooms with a view left:

While a part of me is in distress at the history that’s always lost with implosions and new construction, another part of me is in awe that I am part of, and witnessing history. I am here now – right smack in the middle of the biggest poker boom in the world and have a front row seat to all the noise and confusion and things that make the world go round.

*Visit this page for an update*