Green said Stupak believed that only in Las Vegas could he move the iconic stretch of boulevard to incorporate his property with the tall tower. Green said Stupak was reported to have said that he would be extending the Strip with his iconic observation tower, which was built when the Las Vegas Strip was growing with big-themed casinos and resorts, including Treasure Island, Luxor and MGM Grand. It got plenty of attention.īut Michael Green, associate professor of history at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said the discussion over the Strip’s boundary actually seemed to date back to when casino mogul Bob Stupak opened the Stratosphere in 1996. Sartini - in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal not long after he purchased it - said that the Stratosphere was definitely on the Strip.
The hotel is in the midst of a $140-million renovation and is undergoing a rebranding effort that includes new rooms, revamped food offerings and upgraded decor. The debate - or “conversation,” as Sartini prefers to call it - started when his group, Golden Entertainment, purchased the Stratosphere for $850 million a little more than a year ago.
“When people are staying at the Bellagio, they think they’re staying in Las Vegas, but it’s really Clark County,” he said.
