
The Las Vegas City Council has paused the casino development in the Historic Westside, voting 6-1 to reject the Jackson Hotel Resort & Casino project. Despite revisions proposed by developer Shlomo Meiri, the council and community did not change their stance. Mayor Shelley Berkley urged project owners to better involve the community, stating, "It is a very exciting project, but from the first time we talked about this when I was a candidate to now, there has been very little progress on bringing the community into this proposal," as reported by News3LV.
Community concerns about increased traffic and the project's noncompliance with existing zoning limits have significantly influenced the discussions. Although Meiri lowered the original 60-story design to 22 stories, it still exceeded the area's seven-story height restriction. Even with the reduced scale, the developer considers the project unprofitable, according to News3LV.
The project faced another setback at a Las Vegas Planning Commission meeting, where significant disagreements over the casino’s development led to intense debates. Meiri clearly stated his position, "I... there is nothing we can do about it unless it makes money. I’m here to make money. So nobody with his right mind will be at a casino with seven stories and 100 hotel rooms," he said in a statement obtained by FOX5 Vegas.
After disagreeing with the city's stance, Meiri threatened to withdraw from the development, declaring, "I give you the property for free. There is nothing can be done if there in seven stories. I don’t want to be involved." His posture prompted Ward 5 Councilwoman Shondra Summers-Armstrong to assert the community's position, telling Meiri, "They are not comfortable with this development. They are not comfortable with the threats, and I am offended by the threats, and threats don’t work well with me," as recounted by FOX5 Vegas.
Following the meeting, Meiri provided no indication of his next steps. With his departure and the apparent withdrawal of funding, the future of the development is uncertain. Some community members, including Councilmember Olivia Diaz, had supported a project aimed at creating jobs and economic opportunities while adhering to the Historic Westside’s character. It is currently unknown whether Meiri will submit another revision to address the Planning Commission’s concerns or discontinue the project.