It was the only new megaresort to open on the Strip in 2000, and there aren't any on the drawing board for the next couple of years. He pulled off a land swap with Lehman Bros. for 61 acres in back of the Plaza hotel, land that was once owned by Union Pacific Railroad and has been the proposed location for everything from a domed stadium to a sports arena and performing arts center. Goodman accepted a proposal for a high-tech incubator on 10 acres downtown, and is considering a proposal for 5 million square feet of furniture showroom on an adjacent 56 acres still owned by Union Pacific. While economic indicators point to a slowdown toward the end of the year, growth was robust for most of the year. Job growth, a direct reflection of Las Vegas' room inventory that has reached nearly 124,000, has shown a 7 percent increase, with total employment of 767,700 in the Las Vegas metropolitan statistical area and an unemployment rate of 4.2 percent through October.
Jobs draw people.
With more people moving to town, demand for housing increases. While new home sales won't break 1999's record of 21,216, resales are up 13 percent to 24,701 through October. McCarran International Airport also had a record passenger count of 33.7 million in 1999, with projections of a 9 percent increase this year. After reporting its first profitable month in March and continuing to be profitable through August, the airline filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December, citing higher fuel costs and a need for additional investors.