Sin City without so much guilt? New Las Vegas green initiative gearing up for its debut

The CityCenter in Las Vegas – heavily touted as being Sin City’s greenest destination to date, is getting ready to make its debut this winter. Beginning in December 2009, the seven-building luxury development by MGM Mirage and Infinity World Development Corps (subsidiary of Dubai World) will open in stages – four hotel/residences, a two-tower residential-only project, and a retail/restaurant/entertainment complex – and will be all be LEED Silver or Gold certified.

“CityCenter represents what we feel is a significant new direction for our city and our company,” MGM Mirage CEO Jim Murren said in a press statement Thursday. “…Las Vegas is on the fast track to becoming a major urban center in the western United States.”

The Center, which has already been named “one of the world’s largest sustainable developments” and “a city within a city,” takes up 67 acres between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo resorts and will include over 5,000 “green your stay” guest rooms, as well as 2,400 residences, plus showrooms, casinos, exhibit halls, and eco-conscious dining.

Another side of green

CityCenter is aiming to combine jaw-dropping design and architecture with the latest eco-conservation practices. Aiming for high-level LEED denotation, the development is pulling out all the stops.

• All hotels and residences will utilize a third less water by way of low-flow water fixtures and pressurized showers
• Organic or wild-crafted paraben-free products will be used in spas
• Extensive recycling programs for paper and wate
• Hotel guests can “green their stay” by indicating their preferred light levels and room temperatures (many will include extensive natural lighting and skylights)
• Guestrooms will automatically go into “unoccupied status” when visitors check out, cutting off lights/AC-heating/appliances until the next guest checks in
• Much of the art and design work will use recycled, reclaimed and organic/natural materials.

Good from the ground up

Developers are off to a good start, even before the doors open. Ninety-five percent of the Center’s construction waste has been recycled, including bathroom fixtures which have been shipped to other countries – wrapped in former Boardwalk curtains and carpets – for reuse. Some other steps include:

• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) wood, taken only from forests with responsible, sustainable management practices, is used throughout the properties
• Low volatile organic compound (VOC) paints used, as well as sustainable certified carpet
• An 8.5 megawatt natural gas co-generation plant will provide for at least 10 percent of CityCenter’s overall energy needs – reducing emissions and heating ALL the domestic hot water necessary for the development, including its numerous swimming pools and spa
• CityCenter employees – 10,000 builders and tradespeople, including – will undergo LEED training, so that they can apply their skills elsewhere in the future

For more information, visit www.citycenter.com.