LAS VEGAS (AP) – The last tower of the iconic Riviera Hotel and Casino came tumbling down along the Las Vegas Strip early Tuesday to make way for a convention center expansion.
The 2:30 a.m. demolition of the Monte Carlo wing came two months after the taller Monaco tower was leveled the same way.
The 2,075-room property closed in May 2015 after 60 years hosting headliners from Liberace to Dean Martin. It also was a backdrop for movies including the Rat Pack original “Ocean’s 11” in 1960.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority now owns the property and is spending $42 million to level the 13-building site. The tourism agency plans to use the site to expand the Las Vegas Convention Center. The tourism agency bought the entire 26 acres last year for $182.5 million, plus $8.5 million in related transaction costs. The expansion is expected to be completed in January.
Unlike the previous implosion in June, there was no designated viewing area Tuesday morning. But a small crowd began gathering on Las Vegas Boulevard to witness the implosion, many of them snapping photos before blasts caused the building to collapse into a pile of rubble.