Implosion Brings Down Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas - VOA Stor

The New Frontier casino-hotel was imploded early Tuesday, giving a violent end to the second property to open on the Las Vegas Strip.

The 16-story hotel tower was felled with over 1,000 pounds of explosives before a group of reporters and bystanders to make way for a multibillion-dollar resort bearing The Plaza brand, which is set to open in 2011.

The New Frontier earned historical notations by becoming the Strip's first theme casino and hosting Elvis Presley's debut in the city.

The low-key gambling hall, which opened as the Last Frontier in 1942 with a cowboy village theme and later embraced the space age before returning to its Wild West roots, had become known for bikini bull riding, cheap hotel rooms and $5 craps before it closed its doors for good in July.

The destruction of the New Frontier was the latest step in a dramatic, and expensive, facelift for the northern Strip. The Stardust hotel-casino was imploded in March.

The transformation has made land prices soar and elevated the northern Strip's importance.

The Last Frontier was the second hotel-casino to open on the Strip, and over its 65 years it played host to such entertainers as Ronald Reagan, Wayne Newton and Siegfried & Roy. Presley performed for the first time in Las Vegas at the resort in 1956. Billionaire Howard Hughes once owned it, and Wynn's purchase of a minority stake in the 1960s in exchange for heading up the slot and keno departments sparked his career as a casino magnate.

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[duncan36]

The owners sold just in time. They must be laughing all the way to the bank as Las Vegas real estate goes deeper into the crapper everyday.

[leestacey972]

quite sad to see it go. Me and 2 mates traveled across the US last year it was the most amazing trip ever. We stopped in Las Vegas for one night and stayed in that hotel it was great, but I could of stayed anywhere in Las Vegas and I would of enjoyed it what a town. Cool vid though.