Las Vegas Strip Opens its First Green Space

Listen up everyone, the Sin City is going Green! MGM Resorts International just opened its Park Dining and Entertainment District in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip. What makes this venture unique, is that it features an open green space with 200 fully grown trees, a first in Las Vegas.

CEO Jim Murren said in an interview with Las Vegas Sun that this new project aims to showcase not just the grandiose of the hotel but also "show the people of the world how beautiful our desert can be."

The $100 million development is the first in the Las Vegas Strip to offer a green space. Murren decided to build this instead of another gambling or hotel space because he was inspired by cities he had visited where people have access to open areas and green spaces.

Las Vegas Sun said "With no new gambling space and an emphasis on the outdoor environment, the Park continues a trend on the Strip away from traditional casino development and toward nongaming attractions."

The Global Traveler said the Park developed the open space integrating patio, lush greens, 50-foot-tall shade structures and waterfalls. But because it is situated in the middle of the dessert, water use is a concern MGM needed to tackle before the development of the park. While according to The Guardian, the park is also home to southwestern plants, sage flowers and agave plants.

John Entsminger, General Manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority said MGM was able to pursue water conservation efforts such as "removing turf, reusing linens and installing low-flow water fixtures" which resulted to the company saving about 800 million gallons of water in the last five years. Their long term sustainability efforts led the way to the building of the first and only green space in the Las Vegas Strip. Cindy Ortega, Chief Sustainability Officer at MGM Resorts said in an interview with The Guardian "We think guests are increasingly valuing the sustainability of destinations they pick,"

Gov. Brian Sandoval praised the hotel and said this is just what the strip needed. "When people come and visit here, and they're walking to the arena and go through this experience - I haven't been to as many places as a lot of other people, but I've never seen anything like it. So it's something that's unique and iconic for Las Vegas - again."