Steve Wynn Breaks Ground On Encore

When the show goes really well, the audience calls for an encore. I’m guessing that’s the philosophy behind the name of Steve Wynn’s newest project. On April 28, Wynn and his wife Elaine broke ground on a new $1.7 billion resort called Encore, which will sit next to the entrepreneur’s current hot property, Wynn Las Vegas.

While Encore will be a stand alone property, with it’s own 40,000 sq ft casino and meeting space, the properties will be connected via several public areas to allow guests the ease of going from one to another. There are also rumors that Encore will function as a all-suites property, similar to the neighboring Venetian.

Sources say there will be a man-made architectural “hook” similar to what has been used at other Wynn-built properties (the Wynn Las Vegas mountain, the Bellagio fountains and the Mirage volcano), but Wynn and co. are keeping a tight lid on what that will be. However, I have been told that the resort will feature an indoor pool with a retractable roof, perfect for year-round pool parties. It will be similar to the roof that the Palms installed on the Moon Bar.

Wynn is hoping April 28 continues to be his good luck charm, as it’s not only his wife’s birthday, but the date that he bought the land site (formerly the location of the Desert Inn) in 2000 and the date that he opened Wynn Las Vegas a year ago. But he isn’t going to wait until April 28, 2008 to open Encore. He says that he plans to open the resort by December 2007.