— The iconic Mirage hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip will shut its doors this summer, the end of an era for a property credited with helping transform Sin City into an ultra-luxury resort destination.
“We’d like to thank the Las Vegas community and team members for warmly welcoming Hard Rock after enjoying 34 years at The Mirage,” Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International, said Wednesday in a statement announcing the closure.Developed by former casino mogul Steve Wynn, the Mirage opened with a Polynesian theme as the Strip's first megaresort in 1989, spurring a building boom on the famous boulevard through the 1990s.
Hard Rock International said Wednesday that more than 3,000 employees will be laid off and it expects to pay out $80 million in severance. “Culinary Union will continue to ensure workers are protected and centered in the property’s future,” the statement said.