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96-653: The property began in 1957, as the Sun N Shine Motel. It became the Sunshine Motel in the 1980s, and later became known as the Mojave Meadow Motel. A casino was added in 1991, when the property was renamed the Aztec Inn. The property is owned by Gerald Brinkman, Paul Kellogg, and Gary Vause. The Aztec Inn's casino is 3,120 sq ft (290 m) and features 39 slot machines. The Aztec Inn also features

192-441: A three-alarm fire broke out on the western portion of the Aztec Inn, on the second floor of the two-story wood-frame motel, located on Baltimore Avenue. The casino was evacuated. Firefighters arrived at approximately 11:38 p.m. More than 100 firefighters spent 45 minutes to get the fire under control. Traffic on South Las Vegas Boulevard, between Sahara Avenue and St. Louis Avenue, was diverted to make way for firefighters. The fire

288-656: A "large-scale fire in a commercial building would require three alarms or more." When identifying the unit/firefighter alarm designation, the initial dispatch is referred to as a "first alarm" and is typically the largest. Subsequent alarms are calls for additional units, usually because the fire has grown and additional resources are needed to combat it, or because the incident is persisting long enough that firefighters on scene need to be relieved. Requests for units and firefighters from outside jurisdictions do not normally occur in multi-firehouse urban areas until elevated alarms are reached (alarm three and above), but will depend on

384-570: A $ 20 million renovation that included remodeling the hotel rooms. Other renovations continued into 2012. Golden Entertainment purchased ACEP and the Stratosphere in 2017, and additional renovations began in 2018, continuing into 2020. The resort was rebranded as The Strat on January 22, 2020. In 1974, Bob Stupak opened a small casino in Las Vegas known as Bob Stupak's World Famous Million-Dollar Historic Gambling Museum and Casino, north of

480-509: A $ 30 million aquarium attraction, measuring 80,000 sq ft (7,400 m ) and set to open in 1997, but this never materialized. Within six months of the opening, stock prices in Grand Casinos and Stratosphere Corporation dropped 50% and 80% respectively, and the resort laid off 400 employees. In an effort to attract more gamblers, the casino began offering favorable odds and returns on its table games and slots. The effort

576-764: A $ 50 million, 1,012-foot (308 m) observation tower with a top floor that would include a revolving restaurant and four penthouse suites. It would be the tallest structure in Las Vegas and in Nevada . The tower was designed by architect Ned Baldwin, who also worked on the CN Tower in Toronto . Stupak's vision for the project was inspired by the Sydney Tower in Australia, where he once lived. In April 1990,

672-541: A 1,149 ft (350.2 m) observation tower, the tallest in the United States . It is also the second-tallest observation tower in the Western Hemisphere , surpassed only by the CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario . The top of the tower includes a revolving restaurant , lounges, observation decks , and several thrill rides. The hotel and casino are at the base of the tower, and the resort also includes

768-411: A buffet and a business center. The Aztec Inn's various apartment buildings were constructed on the property in 1953, 1954, and 1956. The motel structure was constructed in 1957, and operated as the Sun N Shine Motel. Additional rooms were added in 1958 and 1960. The motel became the Sunshine Motel during the 1980s, and was later renamed as the Mojave Meadow Motel. In 1991, a casino was built and opened as

864-518: A construction elevator to bring down the pieces. The complex and risky process was expected to take nearly two months. The tower was topped off with a ceremony on November 4, 1995. A helicopter was used to lift two 3,700-pound (1,700 kg) steel frames to the top. Six workers, strapped to the tower, helped guide the final sections into place. Years before the Stratosphere's opening, a three-block neighborhood of houses in Meadows Village

960-580: A giant neon sign for Vegas World, to be built on adjacent property. The idea soon evolved into an observation tower with a rooftop restaurant. Construction of the Stratosphere Tower began in 1992. A fire of unknown origin occurred on the tower in August 1993, during construction. Stupak then had difficulty acquiring funds to finish the tower. To complete the project, he partnered with Grand Casinos , owned by his poker friend Lyle Berman . The tower

1056-416: A half-billion-dollar project in the middle of one of the worst neighborhoods." On August 29, 1993, around midnight, hundreds of customers at Vegas World were evacuated when the half-finished tower caught on fire. No one was hurt. The cause of the fire was never determined. Parts of the tower were blackened, but the fire caused no structural damage. The tower is made of concrete and steel. The fire delayed

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1152-400: A judge to place the Aztec Inn into receivership to recoup his investment money. Mushkin doubted that the casino would be forced into receivership. Aztec Inn's general manager, Bill Maxwell, criticized Brinkman, saying, "The three partners are supporting the company. The fourth partner is not." In March 1999, Maxwell was approved for a four-percent interest in the Aztec Inn. That month, Brinkman

1248-506: A later date. A three-piece statue, created by local artists, was installed at the resort's front entrance in April 2019. The statue consists of three stainless steel figures staring at the tower. They range in height from nine to 15 feet, with the tallest one pointing at the tower. Blake Sartini , the chairman and CEO of Golden Entertainment, said the statue was a symbol of the resort's new branding. Two areas for live entertainment – one on

1344-458: A number of reasons, including its location away from the Strip and other resorts. Marketing was also limited, as Berman initially believed the tower had generated enough publicity on its own. The unfinished facilities were another factor in the resort's low revenue. Stratosphere Corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1997, and businessman Carl Icahn purchased the resort in 1998. Icahn had

1440-547: A property. Another issue was that the two rides atop the tower had to be shut down whenever winds reached 35 miles per hour. Stupak, who had already planned to move on to other projects, resigned as chairman less than three months after the opening, leaving Berman in charge. Explaining his departure, Stupak cited disagreements with a majority of the board members, saying that Grand Casinos executives ignored his advice and that he lacked influence considering his job title. Grand Casinos had agreed to keep Stupak as chairman only for

1536-514: A restructured company. In June 1997, corporate raider and businessman Carl Icahn purchased 20 percent of mortgage bonds in Stratosphere Corporation, while Berman and other investors in Stratosphere Corporation sold off their shares. Grand Casinos remained as the largest shareholder in the resort. In July 1997, Icahn announced plans to sell shares in his company, American Real Estate Partners , to raise money to purchase

1632-541: A separate, non-topless pool on the hotel's eighth floor. Like other resorts, the Stratosphere was particularly popular in 2006 and 2007, before the Great Recession . A retro-themed nightclub, named Polly Esther's, opened in March 2007. It featured themes based on the past four decades, with memorabilia dating back to the 1970s. In April 2007, Icahn announced that he would sell ACEP and its properties, including

1728-520: A showroom and a shopping mall. The Strat is within city limits on Las Vegas Boulevard , just north of the Las Vegas Strip . The resort is sometimes considered a Strip property, but Clark County does not officially recognize it as such, saying the Strip does not extend into the city. Part of the property was previously occupied by Vegas World , a hotel and casino Bob Stupak opened in 1979. A decade after its opening, Stupak announced plans for

1824-423: A topless pool area on the hotel's 25th floor known as Beach Club 25, later renamed Radius. The Beach Club 25 area had previously served as the resort's original pool, until the 2001 renovation. The topless pool concept was introduced to appeal to the Stratosphere's European visitors, and to attract a younger demographic that had become increasingly common in Las Vegas. The topless pool area operates in addition to

1920-412: Is a basic example of how alarm levels are categorized in a fire department, how many fire apparatus or fire units respond to each alarm level, etc. In New York, however, additional special alarm levels are utilized, aside from the conventional first alarm fire, second alarm fire, third alarm fire, etc. Examples of such alarm levels are the signal 10-75 assignment, the signals 10-76 and 10-77 assignments, and

2016-480: Is based on the number of units, (for example firetrucks , tankers, rescue vehicles and command vehicles) and firefighters responding to a fire; the more vehicles and firefighters responding, the higher the alarm designation. In terms of understanding the relative severity of an incident, the government of Rochester , New Hampshire has reported in a statement that a "typical fire in a small structure will usually require only one or two alarms". In contrast, however,

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2112-560: Is in an addition on each alarm (a five alarm fire assignment has 21 engine companies total). Each total is the total number of units on scene. If the incident commander decides that the incident does not require a higher alarm level to be requested, they can specially request an additional unit to the scene without requesting a full alarm level assignment. For example, at a working fire, there are four engine companies, three ladder companies, one squad company, one rescue company, two battalion chief units, and one division chief unit operating at

2208-536: Is offering a better proposal." In August 1997, Stupak made a plan to regain control of the Stratosphere by purchasing $ 1 million in mortgage notes. He also planned to air a half-hour video in which he criticized the board members who resigned, saying, "We have to save the Stratosphere. We have to save the shareholders. You have a duty, a fiduciary duty. I'm reminding you to do this." Stupak went on to say, "They lost more money than I ever heard of. So what did they do? They surrendered. They surrendered and left town." Stupak

2304-597: The Empire State Building did for New York , what the Seattle Space Needle did for Seattle ." Stupak's plans received widespread opposition, including from Las Vegas city staff, who drafted an ordinance that would have limited signs to 35 feet. The Las Vegas City Council rejected the ordinance, considering it a poorly drawn measure aimed specifically at stopping Stupak's project. In February 1990, Stupak unveiled his revised plans for

2400-513: The Las Vegas Strip on land previously occupied by the Todkill/Bill Hayden Lincoln Mercury Dealership. The casino burned down two months later, and Stupak opened his Vegas World hotel and casino on the same property in 1979. Stupak's concept for the Stratosphere began as a plan to construct a 1,012-foot (308 m) neon sign tower for Vegas World. In October 1989, Stupak submitted plans to

2496-407: The "eighth blunder of the world" and "Stupak's shaft." In October 1991, the city approved the tower's base and shaft; the pod atop the tower had yet to be approved. At the time, Stupak was trying to obtain financing for the now-$ 100 million project and was also under investigation by gaming officials over allegations that he used deceptive advertising to lure customers to Vegas World. The project

2592-443: The 40 millionth visitor to the tower on April 21, 2014, and received a $ 2,500 prize package. In September 2014, a man, under the influence of drugs, crashed his pickup truck through the resort's front entrance and was arrested. In 2015, the Stratosphere launched an advertising campaign targeting its middle-class clientele, while criticizing high-priced Strip resorts. The Stratosphere celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016. At

2688-462: The Aztec Inn during the 1990s. In December 1998, Brinkman, who owned a 25-percent interest in the Aztec Inn, sued Kellogg and Vause, accusing them and Dombrowski of making numerous high-interest loans to the Aztec Inn and later having the casino repay the loans against Brinkman's objections. Brinkman alleged that the loans violated the Aztec Inn's limited partnership agreement, which required unanimous consent of all loan transactions. Brinkman alleged that

2784-419: The Aztec Inn had lost $ 1.7 million since its opening in 1991, as a result of the loans. The lawsuit claimed that the casino had lost $ 217,000 in 1996, $ 418,000 in 1997 and $ 474,000 through the first ten months of 1998. Michael Mushkin, an attorney defending the Aztec Inn's owners, claimed, "Mr. Brinkman has also made loans and received the same rate of interest on loans as these partners have." Brinkman requested

2880-469: The Aztec Inn settled with the Stratosphere and agreed to sell its parking lot. Separately, the Stratosphere agreed to provide free rent and relocation expenses to approximately 140 residents in a nearby area of Meadows Village that was cleared for an eventual expansion of the resort. An additional hotel tower had been planned for the land, directly north of the resort; 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) were already occupied by several businesses, and this portion of

2976-513: The Aztec Inn. The motel's office was demolished to make room for the casino. During the 1990s, the property was owned by Gerald D. Brinkman, Gary Vause, Donald Dombrowski, and Paul Kellogg III. In 1994, officials from the Stratosphere project – under construction north of the Aztec Inn – entered an agreement with the city's Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency to have the Aztec Inn's parking lot condemned through eminent domain and turned over to

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3072-430: The Stratosphere and its reorganization. The Stratosphere owed $ 313 million to creditors . Icahn's reorganization plan was approved, and Stupak settled the lawsuit concerning vacation packages. Older shares in the Stratosphere were canceled. Lakes Gaming , formerly Grand Casinos, would later settle a lawsuit brought by former Stratosphere shareholders, and the company prevailed in a lawsuit brought by bondholders of

3168-404: The Stratosphere entirely. Icahn announced a new reorganization plan that was viewed more favorably than the latest one proposed by Grand Casinos. Berman and other board members of Stratosphere Corporation resigned, with Berman saying, "Grand wants to avoid being on the board when proposals such as Icahn's are being reviewed. I think it's difficult when your company has a proposal and another company

3264-515: The Stratosphere, to a Goldman Sachs affiliate known as Whitehall Street Real Estate Funds. The sale included 17 acres of adjacent, undeveloped land. Whitehall completed its purchase in February 2008, and the company planned to spend $ 25 million on improvements to the Stratosphere. Many managers were fired and replaced under the new ownership, despite earlier assurances that such jobs would be safe from termination. Some employees complained about

3360-508: The Stratosphere. The Aztec Inn's owners had spent $ 700,000 on renovations and feared that the loss of their parking lot would end the business. In June 1995, a judge ruled that the agreement was unconstitutional. The city chose not to appeal the decision. By April 1996, the Aztec Inn settled with the Stratosphere and agreed to sell its parking lot for an undisclosed amount. Darrin Race, an Elvis Presley impersonator , regularly performed in front of

3456-486: The accident, it was like nobody had anything negative to say about it." During 1994, crews erected a crane—taller than the earlier one—that allowed them to continue work on the tower. The 75-ton crane was 400 feet (120 m) tall and was installed over four days. Removal of the crane began in October 1995, with the use of a second crane. Dismantling the crane was one of the most significant challenges for those working on

3552-576: The addition of a new poker room. For years, the Stratosphere sat alone as the sole resort in the area. The only other nearby resort, the Sahara , closed in 2011, causing a significant drop in pedestrian traffic for the Stratosphere. However, the Sahara reopened as the SLS Las Vegas in 2014, and the Stratosphere was expected to benefit from the increased visitation in the area. A British man became

3648-471: The allowance of a bartender to have a $ 2,000 bankroll to make gaming payouts that were not recorded in the casino's accounting system. A fire forced the evacuation of the motel on June 22, 2005, at approximately 11:45 p.m. The fire was confined to a closet in a motel room, and was extinguished with no injuries. Another motel fire, involving a flaming mattress, occurred in July 2005. On the night of August 3, 2005,

3744-473: The building were related to the fire. Smoke clouds drifted south along the Las Vegas Strip into the early morning hours. In May 2006, the Aztec Inn was fined $ 5,000 after Dombrowski admitted to the accounting violations from the previous year. Stratosphere Las Vegas The Strat (formerly the Stratosphere ) is a hotel and casino in Las Vegas , Nevada , United States. It includes

3840-495: The casino floor and one in the former space of a lounge – were being added in June 2019, along with a new slot machine lounge. "STRAT" signage was installed in August 2019, and renovations on the south end of the casino floor were completed that year. Other renovations have included the resort's exterior and landscaping. The Strat also installed drone detection technology, alerting the property whenever illegal drones are flown near

3936-427: The casino floor entirely. Berman said that weak marketing was also a factor in the poor revenue. Because the tower had already received so much publicity, Berman decided that a full marketing campaign was unnecessary. In the months after its opening, the resort continued to suffer financially. The unfinished hotel contained fewer rooms than most Las Vegas resorts, and occupancy was significantly below average for such

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4032-410: The center of the casino, featured a couple riding a dolphin set upon a bronze globe. The Stratosphere had seven restaurants, and the top of the tower contained two thrill rides. Stupak said, "Anybody can build a tower. But if you build a tower and put a roller coaster on top—now, that's Las Vegatizing." The Stratosphere was projected to attract at least 5.5 million visitors in its first year. Around

4128-467: The chief of operations, as well as multiple specialized units and or specially called units operating on the scene. All of these companies come from many firehouses to the scene. Some companies, however, are quartered together at the same firehouse. So, it is not a matter of how many firehouses respond to a fire as popularly believed, but rather how many companies/units and how many firefighters are operating on scene. The system of classification comes from

4224-489: The city council approved Stupak's tower, despite objections from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which said it was 200 feet (61 m) too tall. Nellis Air Force Base also opposed the tower. Stupak later said that "all sorts of people out there opposed" the tower, adding, "If it wasn't for the courage of the council, it would have never been built." Critics later called the project

4320-467: The city for the approval of the neon sign tower, which would stand four times taller than the hotel. A few days later, he withdrew his plans to allow time for a revised version of the tower that would include an elevator leading up to an observation deck . Stupak, who wanted the tower to become a local landmark, said, "What I'm trying to do for Las Vegas is what the Eiffel Tower did for Paris , what

4416-403: The company, including the Stratosphere, was completed in October 2017. In March 2018, Golden Entertainment announced plans for a $ 140 million renovation of the Stratosphere that would be completed over three phases. According to management, some people were unaware that the Stratosphere was a resort, believing it to be merely an observation tower. The renovations were aimed at raising awareness of

4512-409: The company. He was one of the corporation's nine directors, and would not oversee the company's daily operations. Shortly before its opening, several daredevils expressed interest in performing stunts from the top of the tower, but they were declined for safety reasons. Smoke in the tower's pod restaurant forced an evacuation of workers on April 25, 1996, days before the opening. The smoke came from

4608-563: The completion of the tower. To continue construction, Grand Casinos announced plans in November 1993 to purchase 33% of the Stratosphere and Vegas World by acquiring shares in Stupak's Stratosphere Corporation. Grand Casinos, owned by Stupak's poker friend Lyle Berman , ultimately purchased a 43% stake in the resort. As construction continued in April 1994, the tower was over 700 feet (210 m) tall. That month, Stupak announced that he

4704-414: The construction to ensure structural integrity. The tower was built directly north of the Las Vegas Strip and south of downtown Las Vegas , in an area known as Meadows Village, a crime-ridden neighborhood nicknamed Naked City . Shortly before its opening, a Stratosphere spokesman said, "We hope Stratosphere will be the catalyst that spurs redevelopment" in the area, while acknowledging, "We plunked down

4800-471: The country in which pilots were temporarily blinded by laser lights. In June 1994, the city rejected Stupak's new height proposal but allowed him to go up to 1,149 feet (350 m), higher than the 1,012 feet (308 m) he had originally proposed. The tower was ultimately built out to the city's maximum height, though the FAA still considered it a hazard. Grand Casinos completed its purchase of Vegas World at

4896-491: The end of 1994, and the hotel-casino closed on February 1, 1995, for remodeling to be integrated into the resort. Vegas World's two hotel towers, consisting of 932 rooms, were renovated to become part of the Stratosphere. A month after the closure, Stratosphere Corporation began selling bonds worth $ 203 million. The company hoped to raise money to finish the tower and pay Stupak the $ 50.8 million purchase price for Vegas World. Stupak's critics did not believe he could complete

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4992-546: The end of 2008. As a result of the ensuing Great Recession , the Stratosphere laid off workers in 2009, and continued to struggle into 2010. A $ 20 million renovation project began in 2010. Improvements were made to the casino, the main entrance, the Top of the World restaurant, and other areas. A major aspect of the project was the renovation of 909 hotel rooms, out of 2,427. Other renovations continued into 2012, and included

5088-463: The event with singer Phyllis McGuire . Other attendees included Nevada governor Bob Miller and Las Vegas mayor Jan Laverty Jones . Media from around the world attended the event, which was broadcast live by CNBC as well as television stations in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. A six-minute fireworks show, costing $ 50,000, began at 10:30 p.m. Doors in the tower's pod had been left partially open to accommodate television camera cables, and smoke from

5184-435: The fireworks filled the pod and set off fire alarms, resulting in the shutdown of elevators and stranding hundreds of VIP guests. The $ 550 million complex featured 354,000 sq ft (32,900 m ), including 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m ) of entertainment and shopping space. A 97,000 sq ft (9,000 m ) casino was part of the resort's first phase, which also included 1,500 hotel rooms. The hotel

5280-419: The firing of their managers, which occurred following the 2007–2008 financial crisis in the United States. Other employees stated that the fired managers were inept or stealing money from the casino, and that they showed favoritism among workers. Under the new ownership, employees were given stricter work guidelines to follow, which was met with mixed reactions from workers and gamblers. Polly Esther's closed at

5376-577: The first 90 days after opening; his position was to be evaluated after that. Stupak's statue was removed after he resigned and displayed in a gambling museum at the Tropicana hotel-casino. In August 1996, Leroy's established a temporary race and sports book in an effort to bring in more gamblers. The resort's second phase was halted later that month for financial reasons; the additional hotel building consisted of an unfinished 15-story structure of concrete and rebar. There had also been plans for

5472-443: The guy who built a tall tower in Las Vegas. I want to be the guy who built the tallest structure in the world." In 1999, ownership switched to American Real Estate Partners, and Icahn remained as the controlling investor. A new 5,000 sq ft (460 m ) sportsbook was added that year. Revenue saw improvement in 2000, and approximately 8,000 people visited the tower daily. The resort had 2,200 employees. Construction of

5568-504: The hotel for the Stratosphere. New hotel towers were built to accompany the existing buildings. The observation tower, which cost $ 70 million to build, was topped off on November 4, 1995. The $ 550 million Stratosphere complex opened on April 30, 1996. Parts of the resort were unfinished at the time, including a hotel tower and sections of the shopping mall. The Stratosphere was built in a crime-ridden neighborhood known as Naked City . The resort struggled financially during its first year for

5664-421: The land was to be seized through eminent domain, but three property owners fought the seizure in a court battle that lasted into the next decade. The proposed expansion never took place. The Stratosphere was expected to employ 3,000 people, and began hiring for the remaining 2,400 employees in March 1996, a month before the opening. At the time, Stupak was the chairman of Stratosphere Corporation and owned 17% of

5760-496: The location of the incident and the condition of the authority having jurisdiction at the time of the incident. A common misconception is that a "three-alarm fire", for example, means that three firehouses responded to the fire. This is not the rule behind the naming convention, although some cities may use the number of firehouses responding for multi-alarm designations because that is the simplest way to determine an alarm number. (one operating as FAST ) (one as FAST) The list

5856-506: The motel rooms and injured two people. In June 2004, Maxwell was approved to sell his four-percent stake to Dombrowski and Vause for $ 100,000. In January 2005, the casino agreed to correct discrepancies after being warned of violations in its internal control accounting procedures. In June 2005, state agents found repeated violations, which included underreporting slot machine winnings by $ 38,218. Other violations included improper recording of supply purchases, an improperly tested coin counter, and

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5952-464: The old tradition of using pull stations to alert the local departments to a fire in their area. When initially pulled, a pull box will pulse its identification number multiple times to a receiving reel-to-reel telegraph unit (typically located in the nearest dispatch office). Within the pull box, a firefighter is able to (via a built-in telegraph key) manually key back to dispatch, including requests for mutual aid. One such code commonly used throughout

6048-407: The opening of unfinished retail shops. The resort's location away from the revitalized downtown and the mega-resorts of the Strip was another reason for its financial problems. In addition, customer visitation to the tower was lower than expected, and many people did not stay to gamble in the casino. The casino was poorly designed, according to managers, as visitors to the tower were able to avoid

6144-425: The opening, which had been planned for August 1994, by eight weeks. Stupak said the tower's first phase would still be ready in time with an accelerated construction schedule. A large crane atop the tower, used for construction, was also damaged in the fire. The next month, high winds prevented the scheduled dismantling of the crane, a process expected to take two days. After the fire, Stupak had trouble financing

6240-443: The pod's fifth-floor kitchen, one floor above the restaurant, due to a faulty ventilator in the air-flow duct system. The pod contained four tanks with 32,000 gallons of water for firefighters in the event of a fire, but they were not needed. A film crew followed Stupak all day leading up to the opening. More than 8,000 VIP guests visited the resort for a premiere party on April 29, hours before its midnight opening. Stupak attended

6336-401: The remaining hotel rooms finished in 2001 as part of a $ 65 million renovation project. The resort became profitable under his ownership by targeting value-conscious visitors. In 2004, ownership was transferred to Icahn's company, American Casino & Entertainment Properties (ACEP). Whitehall Street Real Estate Funds purchased ACEP and the Stratosphere in 2008. Two years later, ACEP carried out

6432-578: The renovation plans. In 2001, the tower was temporarily closed following the September 11 attacks , out of concern that it could be a target for terrorists. In 2003, several additions were being considered, including a convention center, a nightclub, and an indoor go-cart track. In 2004, ownership of the Stratosphere was transferred to Icahn's new company, American Casino & Entertainment Properties (ACEP). Refurbishments were underway on its sign, porte-cochère , and valet area. The resort also opened

6528-402: The reorganization plan, the resort continued to operate. Existing shares in the company were canceled, and shareholders instead were given the right to buy stock in the company after its restructuring. Shareholders were upset by the plan, and some had already filed a class action lawsuit against Stratosphere Corporation and Grand Casinos, alleging deceit. In February 1997, people who had bought

6624-422: The resort amenities. Renovations were underway later in 2018. A new gaming pit was debuted, and 300 rooms were renovated, among other changes. On February 1, 2019, plans were announced to rename the resort as The Strat, a common nickname among local residents. The transition to The Strat began with two commercials aired locally two days later, during Super Bowl LIII . The name change would become official at

6720-492: The resort. Icahn's purchase received final approval from the Nevada Gaming Commission in August 1998, and the Stratosphere exited bankruptcy two months later. Icahn planned $ 100 million in improvements, including the completion of the additional hotel rooms. However, he inherited various lawsuits when he purchased the Stratosphere, and construction would not resume until such issues were resolved. In

6816-530: The scene. If the fire is not large enough to require a 2nd alarm, but there is a need for more equipment and manpower, the commanding chief can request additional units to respond "specially called" to the scene. Thus, at the scene of a 5th alarm fire in New York, there are a total of 21 engine companies, 11 ladder companies, one squad company, one rescue company, six battalion chief units, one division chief unit, one deputy chief unit, one assistant chief unit, and

6912-461: The second quarter of 2020. Half of the resort's 2,427 hotel rooms had been remodeled, and future renovations would also take place on the remaining rooms. The 80,000 sq ft (7,400 m ) casino, considered dark before, was remodeled with a new color scheme and an open layout. A new William Hill sports book was also added. Multiple-alarm fire One-alarm fires , two-alarm fires , three-alarm fires , etc., are categories classifying

7008-518: The seriousness of fires , commonly used in the United States and in Canada , particularly indicating the level of response by local authorities. The term multiple-alarm is a quick way of indicating that a fire is severe and is difficult to contain . This system of classification is used by both fire departments and news agencies . The most widely used formula for multi-alarm designation

7104-794: The signal 10-60 assignment. A 10-75 is a working fire (i.e., there is fire visible from a building), the 10-76/10-77 assignments are the alarm levels separate from the first alarm, second alarm, third alarms, etc. that are the standard fire department responses to fires in high-rise buildings. The signal 10-60 is a separate response to major disasters. Engine companies, ladder companies, rescue companies, etc. respond to these disasters. Some units can act as Firefighter Assist and Search Team (FAST) units. Chief units who respond to these incidents include division chief units, deputy chief units, battalion chief units (safety, SOC, field communications), air recon chief units, etc. The list demonstrates how alarm levels are categorized in order per protocol. Each apparatus count

7200-399: The time of its opening, financial analysts were optimistic about its financial prospects. Revenue for the first five weeks was lower than expected. Stratosphere Corporation attributed the low results to the resort being partly unfinished, and said it would borrow $ 48.5 million from Grand Casinos to finance enhancements to the property, including the completion of the 1,000 additional rooms and

7296-518: The time, the resort had 1,600 employees. Most of its clientele consisted of tourists from southern California, as well as international locations such as Canada, Germany, and Great Britain. The resort's gaming revenue had yet to fully recover from the effects of the Great Recession, although other aspects of the property performed well. In June 2017, Golden Entertainment agreed to purchase ACEP. Golden Entertainment's $ 850 million purchase of

7392-428: The tower would be an aviation hazard, but its developers argued that the height would make it a major tourist attraction. Stupak and Grand Casinos developed a laser light show for the tower in case the city rejected the new height. A lawyer for the project said, "If we can't have the world's tallest tower, we'll have the world's most beautiful tower." The FAA also opposed the laser show, citing previous incidents around

7488-406: The tower, in part because of his controversial promotional tactics at Vegas World. Critics had also believed that completion would be unlikely after the 1993 fire and the FAA's opposition. After a 1995 motorcycle accident left Stupak in a coma for 12 days, he said the controversy and "all the complaining" about the tower stopped: "There were people who didn't like the tower, this and that, but after

7584-425: The tower. The resort was officially renamed The Strat during a celebration held on January 22, 2020. Among the attendees to the event were Nevada governor Steve Sisolak , congresswoman Dina Titus , Sammy Hagar , Guy Fieri , and Rick Springfield . Renovations were largely finished at the time, with the exception of a self-check-in area and remodeling that was scheduled to begin on the casino's north side during

7680-409: The tower. The tower pod's unique design and its limited space required construction crews to carefully plan the installation of the second crane, which weighed 30 tons. The second crane lowered pieces of the original crane to the ground, and then lifted a seven-ton derrick into place, allowing workers to carry down sections of the second crane. The derrick was then disassembled by hand, and workers used

7776-528: The unfinished hotel tower resumed on April 14, 2000. The tower, with 24 stories, was topped off on November 2, 2000. The $ 65 million project included 1,002 rooms, a 67,000 sq ft (6,200 m ) pool and recreation area, and a coffee shop. Excluding the new tower, the hotel had 1,444 rooms. The new project was meant to improve business at the casino and its retail mall, the Tower Shops . The new facilities were opened in mid-2001. The casino floor

7872-465: The vacation packages also sued Stupak and Grand Casinos. Before the bankruptcy filing, Berman had intended to make the resort profitable. Stupak had called Berman "the best casino operator in the world," but later said of Grand Casinos' operation of the resort, "They just weren't up to it." The resort continued to perform poorly during early 1997, in part because of competition with the recently opened New York-New York resort. Rainy and windy weather

7968-405: The years after Icahn took over, Stupak sometimes visited the Stratosphere's Top of the World restaurant but was otherwise uninterested in the resort. In 2001, Stupak said that he felt prouder when he opened his earlier casinos on the site in 1974 and 1979. Stupak stated his biggest disappointment with the Stratosphere was not being able to have it built out to 1,825 feet. He said, "I don't want to be

8064-420: Was also critical of Stratosphere Corporation for refusing to meet with him to discuss his own proposal for reorganization. A day after announcing his video, Stupak decided to shelve its airing, stating that he had already caught people's interest. He said the video was no longer necessary and that the timing no longer felt right. In October 1997, Grand Casinos confirmed that it would have no further involvement in

8160-560: Was another factor, reducing pedestrian traffic to the Stratosphere and interest in the tower's observation deck and roller coaster. Because of the low revenue, Stratosphere Corporation was removed from the NASDAQ in April 1997, though the stock continued to be traded through the OTC Bulletin Board . A new reorganization plan was submitted that would cancel all existing stock, thereby excluding shareholders' right to buy stock in

8256-441: Was brightened and the resort's buffet was expanded as part of the renovation project. Icahn planned for the Stratosphere to target value-conscious visitors. Focusing on this demographic, Icahn turned the Stratosphere into a profitable business. The hotel's room rates were among the lowest for a Las Vegas resort. The casino's poker room was closed in early 2001, as it was not a significant source of revenue, and it conflicted with

8352-415: Was considered underwhelming, and was closed for improvements to make it longer and faster. Nevertheless, the Stratosphere continued to struggle. In January 1997, the resort announced that it could no longer afford to honor thousands of prepaid vacation packages. Stratosphere Corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy later that month after missing a $ 14.5 million interest payment to bondholders. Under

8448-565: Was considering an 813-foot (248 m) extension of the tower's height, which would bring it to 1,825 feet (556 m), beating the CN Tower by 10 feet (3.0 m) and making the Stratosphere the tallest structure in the world . This new height was opposed by the FAA, the Airline Pilots Association , and McCarran International Airport , on the grounds that it would force changes in air traffic patterns. The FAA said

8544-486: Was demolished to make room for the resort's 4,500-space parking garage. In 1994, officials from the Stratosphere project—north of the Aztec Inn motel-casino —agreed with the city's Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency to have the Aztec Inn's parking lot condemned through eminent domain and turned over to the Stratosphere. The Aztec Inn opposed the agreement, and in 1995 a judge ruled it unconstitutional. By April 1996,

8640-549: Was expected to open on May 7. Another 1,000 hotel rooms were expected to be finished in November as part of the second phase. The resort had 3,100 employees. The casino had 2,600 slot machines and was decorated with a world's fair theme and bright colors. The casino was divided into three sections, each with its own international theme. The hotel included a bronze statue of Stupak, which he disliked and never approved, saying, "They spent $ 100,000 more for that statue than I spent to open my first place in 1974." Another statue, in

8736-415: Was hit hard enough by the woman's vehicle to be thrown across the casino, smashing into a wall. The casino's floor was covered in coins and glass shards. Paul Lybarger, the shift manager at the time, said, "I'm still surprised that no one was killed." The motel remained open, while the bar and slot machine area were expected to be reopened by early June 2000. In January 2001, a flash fire occurred in one of

8832-576: Was in negotiations with the other co-owners to settle the lawsuit. At approximately 3:50 a.m. on May 10, 2000, a 33-year-old woman was driving south on South Las Vegas Boulevard when another driver cut her off. The woman swerved, lost control of her Mercedes-Benz , smashed through the Aztec Inn's glass doors, and crashed into the casino and bar area. Five people were injured. At least 15 slot machines – each one costing approximately $ 8,000 – were damaged. Four touchscreen slot machines – each one costing approximately $ 12,000 – were also damaged. One slot machine

8928-452: Was mostly located inside the motel's attic. Aside from the attic, two motel rooms and a stairwell were also damaged by the fire, which caused an estimated $ 200,000 in damages. The motel was vacant prior to the fire, as it was undergoing renovations. It was the worst of the three fires that the Aztec Inn suffered that year, although officials determined that they were unrelated to each other. Fire investigators wanted to determine if renovations on

9024-527: Was now planned to include the "world's first indoor African lion's park", consisting of a jungle habitat at the tower base; this feature was eventually scrapped. Groundbreaking for the project, known as the Stratosphere Tower, took place on November 5, 1991. The start of construction had yet to be announced for the tower, which was still opposed by the FAA. Construction of the $ 32 million tower began in February 1992, on property adjacent to Vegas World. Multiple architectural and engineering firms monitored

9120-469: Was originally proposed with a height of 1,012 ft (308 m). But in 1994, Stupak considered extending the height to 1,825 ft (556 m), seeking the title of tallest free-standing structure in the world. The Federal Aviation Administration opposed the new height, and the city ultimately rejected it, but allowed Stupak to go as high as 1,149 ft (350 m). Vegas World closed on February 1, 1995, and its hotel towers were remodeled to serve as

9216-401: Was part of a $ 1.4 million multimedia marketing campaign, and the plan was initially successful. The resort lost $ 254 million during 1996, but revenue improved during the final three months of the year thanks to the marketing program, which focused on gaming rather than the observation tower. In addition, admission prices for the tower and its rides were reduced. A roller coaster atop the tower

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