Red Rock, Strip West?

I had to work a Red Rock West reference in there. There is some debate over Station Casinos’ planned Red Rock Station casino at the 215 and Charleston Blvd, which would feature a 300-foot hotel tower. From theLas Vegas SUN:

Station conducted a community meeting at D’Vorre and Hal Ober Elementary School to try to win more public support for the project. Attendees examined a series of photos, drawings and maps. Station’s representatives answered questions.

There appeared to be more opponents than supporters at the meeting, but a true count was difficult because hundreds of people wandered in and out of the meeting. Many said they were concerned about the height, 300 feet, of one of the proposed towers, and dozens wore stickers that said, “Don’t Bring the Strip to Red Rock.”

The casino would be a little more than five miles from Red Rock National Conservation Area’s visitors center, and would not be visible from there, casino officials said….

“Station should learn to play by the rules, which allow a 100-foot casino,” said Glen Arnodo, political director for the Culinary Workers Union, which is fighting the proposed casino.

“It’s a bad idea to put a Strip-sized casino in a neighborhood, especially next to Red Rock Canyon,” Arnodo said.

The union, working with the Sierra Club, mailed 16,000 color pamphlets to area residents and produced the anti-casino stickers that were handed out Tuesday night. Arnodo said the union is interested because Red Rock is a natural treasure that needs to be protected.

But Station Casinos Vice President of Corporate and Government Relations Lesley Pittman said the union management has ulterior motives for fighting the project: Station Casinos are non-union shops; its employees don’t belong to the union.

FULL STORY

It’s not surprising at all the the union is against the plan. I have the feeling that if Station was building a charity hospital, the union would block it, given that Station is non-union. To be fair, Station would probably block anything that would benefit the union, as well.

In any event, there are legitimate views on both sides, and this debate highlights the “development vs. environment” discussion that increasingly takes place when new projects are proposed.
______________________________________