Texas Station

Texas Station is a hotel and casino located in North Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Station Casinos. Texas native Frank Fertitta Jr., the hotel-casino's original owner, chose the Texas theme to appeal to customers from his home state. Fertitta sold the hotel-casino for $95 million to Station Casinos, his former company, prior to its opening on July 12, 1995. It was the largest hotel-casino in North Las Vegas at the time of its opening, with a 60,000 sq ft (5,600 m2) casino and a 200-room hotel.

Texas Station
Texas Station in 2010
Location North Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Address 2101 Texas Star Lane
Opening dateJuly 12, 1995 (1995-07-12)
ThemeState of Texas
No. of rooms200
Total gaming space121,823 sq ft (11,317.7 m2) (as of 2017)
Notable restaurantsAustins Steakhouse
Casino typeLand-based
OwnerStation Casinos
Renovated in1995–1996, 1998–1999, 2000, 2018
Coordinates36°11′52″N 115°11′27″W
Websitetexasstation.sclv.com

Texas Station has been expanded several times, including a $55 million expansion that began in 1998. The expansion added a food court, a child-care facility, and a parking garage, as well as additional movie theater screens and casino space. A $65 million expansion took place during 2000, and included the addition of a convention hall, a bowling alley, new restaurants, and two wedding chapels.

History

The Texas Station, located on 47 acres (19 ha),[1] was designed and built by Marnell Corrao Associates at a cost of $62.8 million. The hotel included 200 rooms in a six-story building.[2] The resort was located at 2101 Texas Star Lane,[3] near the intersection of North Rancho Drive and West Lake Mead Boulevard.[1] Station Casinos' founder and former owner, Frank Fertitta Jr., owned the hotel-casino during construction but sold it to his former company for $95 million in June 1995, prior to the resort's opening. Although Station Casinos purchased the resort, Fertitta kept ownership of the land,[1][4] which he purchased in June 1994.[5] Fertitta had wanted the resort to appeal to customers from his home state of Texas, and he included various subtle references to Texas-Mexican history in the project's design.[1][6][7] The resort's exterior was designed to resemble an 1890s government architectural style common in Texas, while the interior was designed to replicate the San Antonio River Walk.[7]

Texas Station opened on July 12, 1995,[7] with a fireworks show and the presence of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.[8] It was the largest hotel-casino to open in North Las Vegas. The 60,000 sq ft (5,600 m2) casino included 1,600 slot machines, 35 table games, a race and sportsbook, and six bars.[9] The resort also had six restaurants, including Laredo Cantina and Café, Stockyard Steak & Seafood House, Galveston Bay Seafood Co., and the 24-hour Yellow Rose Café.[6][10][11] The resort also had the Italian restaurant San Lorenzo,[10] and the Rio Grande Buffet, which included barbecue cuisine.[6] The resort also included a movie theater, operated by Act III Theatres.[12]

In November 1995, the resort began a 7,800 sq ft (720 m2) expansion, which was completed in February 1996.[6] A parking garage was also completed in 1996.[13][14][15] The Texas Station had initially been a poor financial performer for Station Casinos because of limited customers and casino play. However, revenues later increased following an extensive marketing campaign and the addition of the 600-space parking garage.[16]

In 1996, Texas Station adopted C.P. Squires Elementary, one of Clark's County oldest elementary schools, as its community partner. Texas Station set up many fund raising events for at-risk students including a "wishing well sweep" that takes all the coins from its fountains. The initial sweep netted $1,000 in coins and Texas Station committed to donating all future proceeds to the school to help fund a computer lab.[17][18] Future boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. fought his first fight at the Texas Station on October 11, 1996.[7] A nightclub, Texas Late Nite, opened that month, between the casino's bingo hall and poker room.[19] In January 1997, the Las Vegas Advisor ranked the Texas Station's buffet among the top buffets in Las Vegas.[20]

1998 expansion

A potential $40 million expansion was under consideration in December 1997, and was contingent on Station Casinos' success in transforming its corporate structure into a real estate investment trust. At the time, the casino consisted of 73,000 sq ft (6,800 m2).[21] In May 1998, plans were announced for a $51 million expansion that would include the addition of 21,000 sq ft (2,000 m2) in casino space, for a new total of 94,000 sq ft (8,700 m2). Other additions would include six movie screens to the 12-screen movie theater; a 10,000 sq ft (930 m2) Kids Quest child-care facility; a food court and expanded video game arcade; a bar and lounge; and a 2,000-space parking garage.[16] The expansion was planned to help the resort better compete against the Fiesta hotel-casino across the street, as well as the nearby Santa Fe hotel-casino.[22]

The expansion project began in July 1998, and it ultimately cost $55 million.[1] The Texas Station remained open during the expansion, which nearly doubled the resort's size with the addition of nearly 120,000 sq ft (11,000 m2), for a new total of 270,000 sq ft (25,000 m2).[22] Tri Star Team Builders was contracted for $38 million to handle the new construction work.[1] As a joint venture, Tri Star Team Builders and PCL Construction worked together on the expansion.[23] The movie theater, then operated by Regal Cinemas,[1] closed temporarily in January 1999 because of the expansion. Construction operated on a continuous 24-hour schedule in the days leading up to the expansion's planned opening.[22]

The new areas opened on February 9, 1999,[1][22][24] along with the reopening of the movie theater, while the six new movie screens were scheduled to open later in the month.[22] The expansion added 58,000 sq ft (5,400 m2) of casino space and 850 new slot, video poker and keno machines. The 4,400 sq ft (410 m2) race and sportsbook was also redesigned.[1] Also added was the Martini Ranch, a 24-hour southwestern-themed cocktail lounge located in the center of the casino, with seating for 70 people.[1][3] The expansion also featured an 8,200 sq ft (760 m2) food court with seven eateries that included Krispy Kreme.[1][22][3][25] Also built was the Kids Quest child-care facility.[1] A 126,000 sq ft (11,700 m2) parking garage with 2,900 spaces was built on the property's north side, at the southeast corner of West Lake Mead Boulevard and North Rancho Drive. The garage was added to deal with common customer complaints about inadequate parking, and the garage's location was chosen because of its proximity to a busy intersection.[1]

In 1999, resort officials planned to plant a time capsule on the property, at a cost of more than $10,000.[26] The capsule included items from North Las Vegas mayor Mike Montandon, Las Vegas mayor Jan Jones, and Nevada governor Kenny Guinn.[27] The capsule was expected to be planted in January 2000, to mark the new millennium, with the intention to have it unburied in the year 3000.[26]

2000 expansion

In November 1999, the North Las Vegas Planning Commission approved plans for another expansion that would add 200,000 sq ft (19,000 m2) to the resort, including an additional 11,000 sq ft (1,000 m2) of casino space.[28] At the time, the casino had 2,800 slot machines and 40 table games.[29] Other additions included a 70,000 sq ft (6,500 m2) 60-lane bowling alley, as well as meeting and ballroom space, and a 600-space employee parking garage.[28][30] In January 2000, Station Casinos announced that the expansion would cost $55 million, with construction expected to begin by March and conclude in early 2001. The expansion was expected to include 350 additional slot machines.[31][32] The expansion plans had been undergoing refinements for a year up to the time of the announcement.[32]

In March 2000, plans were announced for the addition of two wedding chapels to the resort, making the Texas Station the first Las Vegas locals hotel to include a chapel. Up to that time, the resort had received between 40 and 60 wedding requests each day from interested people. Each chapel would be 1,000 sq ft (93 m2), and they were to be built beside each other, with the option to combine the two for large weddings containing up to 220 guests. Between 80 and 120 weddings were expected to take place each month. The chapels were announced as part of the resort's ongoing expansion.[33]

On April 27, 2000, The Venetian and Texas Station were the first casinos to announce child-care centers specifically aimed at employees of Las Vegas casinos. The Texas Station's child-care center was expected to open in June 2000.[34] The resort's makeshift outdoor concert stage, known as South Padre, was removed to make room for the expansion.[35][36] The South Padre had the capacity for 3,000 people, but it impacted the comfort of some hotel guests because of its proximity to the hotel building.[36] Added to the resort was the Dallas Events Center, a convention hall which also included seating for up to 1,800 people for concerts and boxing matches.[36]

The resort's expansion project ultimately cost $65 million, and was completed in late 2000. The expansion included two new restaurants.[37] Austins Steakhouse opened at the resort in November 2000, replacing the Stockyard restaurant.[38] Austins included a modern Italian design,[38] and each element of the restaurant was inspired by artists including Henri Matisse and Frank Lloyd Wright.[39] The Las Vegas Review-Journal gave Austins an "A" rating.[40] Adjacent to Austins was the 26-seat A Bar lounge,[38] and the resort also featured the Texas Star Oyster Bar.[37]

The resort's bowling alley opened in December 2000, and accounted for $15 million to $18 million of the $65 million expansion.[41] The resort also introduced its Club Rev concept, in which the bowling alley was turned into a bowling disco two nights a week,[41] with a disc jockey, a light show, and go-go dancers.[36] The wedding chapel also opened in December 2000, and the Texas Station invited more than 250 married couples to renew their vows there to celebrate the opening.[42][43]

Shootings

In 1996, two men shot at security guards in the casino parking lot; there were no injuries.[44] In 1998, near the valet parking lot, a man was injured when another man opened fire on him and three other people.[45] In December 1999, a man was robbed and shot in the parking garage, and he subsequently sued the resort and Station Casinos for alleged inadequate security.[46] In 2001, a murder suspect was shot at by a SWAT officer while fleeing the parking garage.[47] Another shooting, believed to be gang-related, occurred at the Texas Station in January 2005, and it led to an increased police presence at the resort for the following weekend, as well as additional security guards and ushers at the resort's movie theater.[48][49][50] In 2010, a woman suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound during an attempted armed robbery in the resort's northwest parking lot.[51]

Later years

In 2004, the Texas Station's sign on North Rancho Drive was replaced with an energy efficient version of equal size.[52] As of 2015, the Texas Station donates the coins from its wishing well to financially troubled schools in the Clark County School District.[7] As of 2017, the casino is 121,823 sq ft (11,317.7 m2).[53] That year, Station Casinos purchased the Texas Station land as a long-term cost-saving measure.[5][54] In March 2018, a renovation of the Regal Cinemas movie theater began, with completion scheduled for early May. The renovation would add larger seating, and a new bar and concession area on the second floor of the theater. The renovation was expected to cost at least $1.7 million.[55]

  • Texas Station in 2008
  • Texas Station sign on North Rancho Drive (2010)

References
  1. Smith, Hubble (February 8, 1999). "The Tex Files: Texas Station grows with $55 million expansion". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on October 29, 2000.
  2. "Architecture Studies Library". University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Retrieved November 25, 2008.
  3. White, Ken (January 22, 1999). "Texas Station revamps its food district". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on January 29, 2001.
  4. Krane, Elliot S. (June 4, 1995). "All in the Family: Station Casinos to Buy Texas Hotel". The Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  5. "Texas Station ownership history". Clark County Assessor's Office. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  6. "Tall Taste of Texas". Times Leader. Associated Press. February 11, 1996. Retrieved July 19, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. Lopez, Sandy (July 28, 2015). "Texas Station marks 20 years in North Las Vegas". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  8. "Stopovers". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 29, 1995. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  9. Krane, Elliot S. (May 28, 1995). "Largest Resort in North Las Vegas to Open in July". The Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  10. Patterson, Joan (January 22, 1997). "Trained in French cooking, Texas Station chef goes Italian". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on July 19, 1997.
  11. White, Ken (July 24, 1998). "Southern Comfort: Stockyard dishes out traditional tastes of Texas". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on August 23, 2000.
  12. Cling, Carol (May 7, 1997). "Act III plans 18-screen theater". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on July 19, 1997.
  13. Thompson, Gary (October 22, 1996). "MGM gains offset by expansion costs". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved July 19, 2018. Texas Station earnings lagged as a result of higher marketing costs and expenses of building a new parking garage.
  14. Berns, Dave (October 22, 1996). "Station Casinos posts record revenue for quarter". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  15. Berns, Dave (February 5, 1997). "Station Casinos reports pleasing third quarter". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved July 18, 2018. A new parking garage at Texas Station and increased casino winnings at Boulder Station contributed to improved third-quarter revenue for Station Casinos Inc., according to figures released Tuesday.
  16. Berns, Dave (May 6, 1998). "Texas Station to expand". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on May 6, 2001.
  17. Dutton, Elizabeth (November 25, 1997). "Casino partnership helps school". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved November 25, 2008.
  18. Gurzinkski, John (September 25, 1997). "Fountain of change". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on November 5, 1999.
  19. Collier, Lynn (October 16, 1996). "Texas adds nightclub to casino". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  20. Paskevich, Michael (January 22, 1997). "Buffet lovers speak out on favorite spots". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  21. Berns, Dave (December 29, 1997). "Station REIT would improve three newest properties". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on October 12, 1999.
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  23. "Subcontractor sues contractors over work". Las Vegas Sun. June 10, 1999. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
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  25. "Brief: Texas Station lands a Krispy Kreme". Las Vegas Sun. December 7, 1998. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  26. Schorr, Melissa (May 30, 1999). "Starting this week, Las Vegans can send forget-us-nots to the folks of the 31st century through a time capsule". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  27. "Time in a bottle". Las Vegas Review-Journal. June 3, 1999. Archived from the original on October 26, 2003.
  28. "Texas Station bowling alley, expansion OK'd". Las Vegas Sun. November 11, 1999. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  29. Strow, David (November 3, 1999). "Texas Station to expand again". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  30. Bond, Tiffannie (November 24, 1999). "Texas Station set for expansion". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  31. Strow, David (January 25, 2000). "Station takes big writeoff, plans Texas Station expansion". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  32. Hogan, Jan (January 31, 2000). "Texas Station to add bowling lanes, meeting space". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on November 18, 2002.
  33. Hogan, Jan (March 23, 2000). "Texas Station adding wedding services to appeal to locals". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on November 2, 2001.
  34. Straw, David (April 27, 2000). "Venetian, Station Casinos tout employee child-care centers". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved November 25, 2008.
  35. Weatherford, Mike (January 28, 2000). "Several changes planned for local music venues". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on August 18, 2000.
  36. Weatherford, Mike (December 12, 2000). "Texas Station loses outdoor venue, creates all-weather replacement". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on January 29, 2001.
  37. Simpson, Jeff (December 15, 2000). "Texas Station expansion may fortify locals market strength: $65 million project leaves Station Casino executives bullish". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on July 8, 2001.
  38. White, Ken (November 29, 2000). "Texas Station ready to unveil its stylish new steakhouse". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on May 4, 2001.
  39. Padgett, Sonya (March 21, 2001). "Looks Good Enough to Eat". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on July 8, 2001.
  40. Knapp Rinella, Heidi (June 28, 2002). "Mini Restaurant Reviews". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on August 23, 2002.
  41. Wolf, Jeff (December 15, 2000). "Strike Force: Texas Station unveils 60-lane bowling center". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on May 11, 2001.
  42. McGee, Kimberley (January 3, 2001). "Goin' to the chapel: Long-wed couples renew their vows, reflect on their marriages". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved July 19, 2018. More than 200 couples from Las Vegas, who have been married 50 years or more, gathered at the Texas Station last week to renew their wedding vows.
  43. Charles, Ray (January 17, 2001). "200 couples renew vows". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved July 19, 2018. Wedding bells were ringing when Texas Station opened a luxurious new wedding chapel and banquet hall. For the inaugural opening of the chapel Texas Station invited more than 250 couples, who have been married 50 years or more, to celebrate and renew their wedding vows. According to representatives, the number of couples who wanted to attend got so large Texas Station had to create a waiting list.
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  45. "Police check for motive in shooting outside casino". Las Vegas Sun. June 4, 1998. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
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  49. "Gunfire near theaters might be related". Las Vegas Sun. January 17, 2005. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
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  51. Gibson, Tiffany (March 16, 2010). "Woman shot in Texas Station parking lot". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
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  53. "Listing of Financial Statements Square Footage (2017 data)". Nevada Gaming Control Board. March 6, 2018. p. 10. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  54. Velotta, Richard N. (August 8, 2017). "Palace Station to get movie theaters, pool in $191M makeover". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  55. Millward, Wade Tyler (March 5, 2018). "Movie theater upgrades coming to Station Casinos properties". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
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