It’s back, baby

Downtown Las Vegas — where this whole Sin City adventure began in 1906 with the opening of the city’s first hotel — is back, and in a big way.

Downtown’s renaissance began in 1995 when its famed casino corridor, Fremont Street, was converted into a five-block pedestrian mall dubbed the “Fremont Street Experience” connecting 10 historic hotel-casinos. The Plaza, the Golden Gate, El Cortez, D Las Vegas and other downtown properties have since invested hundreds of millions of dollars in remodeling and expanding.

“The entertainment, the lights, the gambling and the fun of the Strip wouldn’t exist without everything that started [downtown],” said Derek Stevens, co-owner and CEO of the Golden Gate and owner of D Las Vegas.

The Golden Gate, Sin City’s original hotel, is making vast improvements (including an expanded casino floor and a remodeled lobby) while preserving its historic aura. An additional 35,000-square-foot luxury tower will house 16 suites.

The El Cortez has invested over $30 million in improvements, including refinishing all 363 of its guest rooms and remodeling its casino floor.

The Plaza reopened in September after nearly a year of renovations. Using contemporary furnishings and materials purchased from the Strip’s Fontainebleau resort (after that hotel suspended construction), the Plaza boasts brand-new guest rooms, a remodeled casino floor and lobby, and all-new restaurants.

“The future looks bright” for downtown Las Vegas, according to Jeff Victor, president of the Fremont Street Experience.

“We are building a new multimillion-dollar zip-line attraction ... Zappos [online shoe and apparel shop] is moving its corporate headquarters to downtown Las Vegas, the Downtown Grand hotel-casino will be opening in 2013, and more projects are being announced all the time.”

‘The future looks bright.’

Jeff Victor President, Fremont Street Experience