VegasChatter

Palmer remained silent at the hearing, but his spokesperson said he is still committed to the project, stating they've had offers to build elsewhere in Vegas but that they believe the best place is downtown in Symphony Park, the name of the larger development it would sit within. The rep says they are now looking at the possibility of opening the project in phases, with the first being a 100-room hotel and restaurant that would leave room for future growth. Original plans centered around a 400-room property.

One city official questioned whether a hotel was still the right idea for the site and floated the proposal of swapping it out for a "cluster of fine restaurants" instead. Palmer's rep said the question was worth discussing, but added that they were comfortable and confident in the idea of a hotel. From listening to the hearing, it was clear that project execs were still trying to conjure up a formula that could produce an opening and revenue and yet still keep rates within reason market levels.

Interestingly, Palmer's spokesperson said that if their next door neighbor were to be an also long-talked about arena, "nothing would happen faster than our project." A representative for Symphony Park relayed that plans for an 18,000-seat arena were "in negotiation" and was hopeful as to the outcome.

(PHOTO: SymphonyPark.com)