When Al Gore, T. Boone Pickens, Steve Chu, Van Jones and Wesley Clark hit town next week for the National Clean Energy Summit, Las Vegas CityCenter developers hope to showcase their sweeping 18-million-square-foot, $8.5 billion project as the greenest thing on the Strip since felt.
 
Developers took the opportunity yesterday to detail the environmentally friendly attributes of the project. It stretches from the Monte Carlo to the Bellagio properties and features an 8.5 megawatt natural gas cogeneration plant that's expected to provide 10 percent of the electricity and heat the hot water for the complex.

"Sustainability was a focus of the project from the very, very beginning," said a representative for the development. The project is a joint venture between the MGM Mirage and Infinity World Development Corps., which is a subsidiary of Dubai World, the company that manages the global investments for the emirate.

The site is to include a 61-story, 4,004-room gaming resort called the Aria; two non-gaming luxury hotels, the Vdara and the Mandarin Oriental; the Veer Towers residential building and a 500,000-square-foot retail and entertainment area called Crystals -- which are scheduled to open later this year. A 400-room luxury boutique hotel, the Harmon is scheduled to open in late 2010.

A conceptual view of the project.

The eight architectural and design firms working on project are incorporating systems and fixtures that are expected to:

• Save as much as 39 percent of water used indoors and 60 percent used in landscaping, compared to water consumption at a conventionally built complex of comparable size. A good part of the savings is to come from specially designed shower fixtures that cut water use by about a third.

• Result in energy savings equivalent to the amount needed to power 7,700 homes. Outside, the buildings include air-brows, reflective rooftops, specially coated windows and high-performance glass. Inside, energy efficient HVAC, room controls and lighting are planned. Marquees, signs and slot machines also are designed to use less energy. The bases of slot machines were developed to serve as air-conditioning units at floor level, so that cooling occurs from the ground up, rather than from the ceiling down.

 

The 8.5 megawatt natural gas cogeneration plant.

A people-mover will shuttle visitors around the vast site and guests who carpool or use alternative-fuel vehicles will have preferred parking and valet service for bicycles is also planned.

And for those who consider limousines a must, CityCenter commissioned the first fleet of stretch limos to be powered by compressed natural gas. Twenty-six of the silver CNG Lincoln Town Car limos are to be on hand for guests.

In the construction project, builders have recycled or reused 230,000 tons of construction waste.

A specially commissioned CNG limousine.

The figure includes 80 percent of the fixtures, glass and construction debris from the Boardwalk Hotel, which was imploded to clear the site for the project. Overall, 95 percent of construction waste is to be recycled and an integrated recycling program is to cover each of the facilities at the complex after it begins operation.

Interior design elements, including carpets, wood, surfaces and coatings, were selected for their Earth-friendly features -- as were the materials used to make the uniforms for the banquet staff. The outfits will be made from recycled polyester.

Project leaders say they hope the complex's efficiency systems and environmental features will earn a combination of LEED Silver and Gold green building certifications for the various facilities.

CityCenter developers are planning a rolling series of grand openings on the site in December.

Several years in the making, the project has been closely watched. The lingering economic crisis has buffeted with Las Vegas with drops in tourism, convention travel and gaming. Money disputes prompted a lawsuit involving the joint venture partners earlier this year, but the matter was settled in spring. The partners struck a new agreement and set a plan for funding completion of the project by its target date.

_{Images courtesy of CityCenter.}