Las Vegas: Development to alter New York-New York, Monte Carlo

Get ready for more change along the Las Vegas Strip: Look for alterations to the faces of the New York-New York and Monte Carlo hotels and the addition of an expansive public plaza featuring a variety of new restaurants and shops.

The new outdoor space, expected to open early next year, will bring significant changes to the facades of both properties, it was announced Thursday.

New York-New York’s mock skyline, including its replica of the Brooklyn Bridge, is to be modified to make room for the new development. The European-themed exterior at Monte Carlo will be removed.

Anchoring the changes outside New York-New York is to be Hershey’s Chocolate World, a two-story, interactive attraction designed to appeal to devotees of the Hershey, Pa., chocolate maker.

New eateries are to front Monte Carlo, including Double Barrel, a casual roadhouse, and 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria, at which super-hot ovens will bake pizzas in about a minute.

The price tag for the plaza, which doesn’t yet have a name, was not disclosed. It is being built in advance of MGM Resorts International’s announced intention to develop a 20,000-seat arena behind the two hotels, just east of Interstate 15.

The arena, which still needs planning approval, is being developed in conjunction with AEG, the company behind LA Live in downtown Los Angeles.

According to plans, the plaza will eventually connect to the arena by way of a new public park that will fill a space between the two resorts.

MGM’s new outdoor district is to open on the heels of Project Linq, a similar venue already under construction across the Strip from Caesars Palace and scheduled to open late this year. That project is to feature the High Roller, one of the world’s tallest Ferris wheels.

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