Clark County Greenlights Heart-Shaped Casino Resort on Former SkyVue Site
Clark County commissioners have approved development plans for a 29-story heart-shaped casino resort that will occupy the long-vacant SkyVue Ferris wheel site on the south Las Vegas Strip directly across from Mandalay Bay; the project calls for 752 rooms along with convention space, a gaming floor, restaurants, and retail outlets while converting the abandoned Ferris wheel pillars into a suspended restaurant.
Site Acquisition and Location Details
Developer Eli Applebaum, operating through Kulik River Capital, completed the purchase of the nearly 12-acre parcel for $70 million earlier this spring; the location sits on the south end of the Strip where the SkyVue Ferris wheel once stood before the project stalled and left the site dormant for years, and the new resort will rise in an area already anchored by major properties such as Mandalay Bay and the surrounding entertainment corridor.
Observers note that the parcel's size and position give the development room for multiple amenities without crowding neighboring structures, while the existing pillars from the failed Ferris wheel provide a ready-made structural element that the design team will repurpose rather than demolish.
Approved Project Components
The approved plans outline a 29-story tower shaped like a heart that will contain 752 guest rooms, and the footprint includes dedicated convention space capable of hosting large-scale events along with a full gaming floor, multiple restaurants, and retail areas; the suspended restaurant will hang from the repurposed Ferris wheel pillars, creating a signature dining experience that ties directly to the site's history.
Commission records show the heart-shaped silhouette emerged as a central design choice to distinguish the property visually on the Strip skyline, and the integration of the old pillars reduces both construction waste and costs while preserving a recognizable landmark element from the previous attempt at the location.
Approval Process and Next Steps
Clark County commissioners reviewed and approved the full set of plans during a recent public meeting, clearing the path for permitting and construction to move forward; the vote followed standard zoning and design reviews that confirmed the project meets county requirements for height, density, and land use on the commercial Strip corridor.
Project documents indicate that Kulik River Capital will now proceed with detailed engineering and contractor selection, and the developer has already signaled interest in coordinating with local suppliers for materials and labor as site work begins, which aligns with broader patterns of Strip redevelopment that reuse underutilized parcels.
Economic and Infrastructure Context
County planning materials highlight that the resort will add substantial convention and meeting capacity to the south Strip, an area that benefits from proximity to major transportation routes and existing hotel inventory; the gaming floor and restaurant components are expected to draw both local and visitor traffic, while the retail spaces will complement the entertainment options already present along that stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard.
According to filings referenced in local coverage, the $70 million land acquisition price reflects current market values for large Strip parcels, and the overall scope positions the heart-shaped resort as a standalone destination rather than an expansion of an existing operator, which gives Applebaum and Kulik River Capital flexibility in branding and partnership decisions.
Conclusion
The approval marks a concrete step toward transforming the long-idle SkyVue site into an active hospitality and gaming complex, and the combination of the heart-shaped tower, repurposed pillars, and mixed-use amenities creates a distinct identity for the 12-acre parcel; construction timelines remain subject to final permitting and financing details, yet the county's decision removes the primary regulatory hurdle that had kept the location dormant.