Deirdre Newman
While the 1901 Newport Blvd. condominium project has shaken up the
city with a lawsuit and possible referendum, a new nightclub set to
open next week at the same address is poised to stir up the downtown
nightlife.
Martinis, shaken and stirred, are the main theme of the swanky
Vegas nightclub, which is anticipated to open in the basement of the
Spanish mission-style building on Feb. 13, pending final inspections.
When Vegas opens its doors, owner James Raven foresees the
light-hearted attitude of the Rat Pack-era infusing the environment
with a long-lost sense of optimism.
"Now, it seems we're so jaded and pessimistic about everything,"
Raven said. "I wanted people to have a little bit of a fantasy about
everything."
But Vegas' opening is contingent on the building of a sound wall
that will have to come down if construction ever starts on the
condominium project. That project is in limbo while the developer
tries to determine if a version the City Council approved Jan. 19 is
workable.
Raven tried to get the property owner to build the wall, but
failed. So, Raven is ponying up the approximately $76,000 it will
take to build a wall that might last only as long as a few jars of
Dean Martin's hair gel.
"I don't understand the reason behind building it if we're going
to have to tear it down in six months, but that's what we're required
to do," Raven said. "I understand the need for it, and that's really
the bottom line."
The sound wall is just the latest obstacle Raven has faced, as
building Vegas has required the patience of a slot machine player.
Raven finally got his building permit last May, six months and
thousands of design dollars after initial approval by the Planning
Commission. The commission gave its blessing to the project despite
city planners' concerns about parking, noise and the overall
concentration of various nightlife hotspots in the area.
The nightclub will have all the accouterments of the "fabulous Las
Vegas" of the 1950s, Raven said, including a six-foot high martini
glass in the center of the Stardust Lounge, like a monument to the
freewheeling ways of the Rat Packers.
The lounge is the first venue patrons will experience when they
enter Vegas. It will be swathed in red with a red, oval-shaped bar
and red fabric overstuffed furniture.
To the left of the lounge is the nightclub, which is designed in
the style of a Palm Springs martini pool bar, Raven said. A
kidney-shaped blue vinyl tile area in the middle serves as the "pool"
