SUN: Racing's media makeover paying off

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

The centerpiece hotel and casino, Aria, had an occupancy rate of 63% for the first three months of the year, 22 percentage points below the 85% rate for MGM Mirage's nine other Las Vegas Strip casinos during the first quarter

That is not my quote

nor is this

Mr. Murren conceived of the City Center project six years ago as a way to create a new urban center for Las Vegas. He shepherded it through to completion, even as its prospects grew dimmer. The project consists of six towers filled with luxury condos, a 150,000-square-foot casino and three hotels, in addition to a mall designed by Daniel Libeskind.

seems like someone thinks it is important

Look at chuck trying dance. You said it was a "major piece to the puzzle". That is not what that journalist or anyone else said. 150k in gaming space is a pittance in relation to the size of the place. The idea behind the place is a step away from gaming. The mention of the gaming space is about as important as who designed the mall.

Are you really going to compare occupancy on a new hotel geared to a totally different market to an established hotel geared to an established market...during a recession?????

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

Look at chuck trying dance. You said it was a "major piece to the puzzle". That is not what that journalist or anyone else said. 150k in gaming space is a pittance in relation to the size of the place. The idea behind the place is a step away from gaming. The mention of the gaming space is about as important as who designed the mall.

Are you really going to compare occupancy on a new hotel geared to a totally different market to an established hotel geared to an established market...during a recession?????

Give me a break. There is no dance, there is fact. The fact is that the CENTERPIECE OF THE PROJECT is a hotel/casino. hink they are making a ton of money on 63% occupancy at $82 a night? Again i didnt call it the centerpiece and the journalist most likely got that from City center literature.

Regardless of how you want to spin it the place is going to tank. Whether it is because it was going to tsnk anyway or if the recession killed it or some combination of the two the fact is that there is nothing positive about this project. Even the shills from MGM speak guardedly about the thing.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Give me a break. There is no dance, there is fact. The fact is that the CENTERPIECE OF THE PROJECT is a hotel/casino. hink they are making a ton of money on 63% occupancy at $82 a night? Again i didnt call it the centerpiece and the journalist most likely got that from City center literature.

Regardless of how you want to spin it the place is going to tank. Whether it is because it was going to tsnk anyway or if the recession killed it or some combination of the two the fact is that there is nothing positive about this project. Even the shills from MGM speak guardedly about the thing.

You called the 150k of gaming space " a major piece of the puzzle" Would you like me to link you to the post you said it in Fred Astaire? LOL

Why do you have such a strong opinion about a project you admittedly don't know a whole lot about? Its interesting to me. And they aren't charging 82 bucks a night. Thats a big part of the problem. The average nightly rate is about twice that and the weekend rate is over 3.5x that.

But what are they going after? Again, success or failure can't be judged in the first quarter.

As far as Dubai World being done, surely you don't think that Kirkorian et al is suddenly broke or creditless. Do you?

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

You called the 150k of gaming space " a major piece of the puzzle" Would you like me to link you to the post you said it in Fred Astaire? LOL

Why do you have such a strong opinion about a project you admittedly don't know a whole lot about? Its interesting to me. And they aren't charging 82 bucks a night. Thats a big part of the problem. The average nightly rate is about twice that and the weekend rate is over 3.5x that.

But what are they going after? Again, success or failure can't be judged in the first quarter.

As far as Dubai World being done, surely you don't think that Kirkorian et al is suddenly broke or creditless. Do you?

Grasping at strws? You are now analyzing my choice of words?

The fact that of the 109 condo units sold so far all have been 100% financed by City center themselves isnt troubling to you? The fact they were planning on $2.7 billion dollars in revenue of condo sales at the height of the market isnt troubling? The fact that when launched the MGM stock prices was $100 a share and it is now at $14 isnt troublesome? That this place was a stretch in the best of times and is assuredly facing something less than that isnt troubling?

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Grasping at strws? You are now analyzing my choice of words?

The fact that of the 109 condo units sold so far all have been 100% financed by City center themselves isnt troubling to you? The fact they were planning on $2.7 billion dollars in revenue of condo sales at the height of the market isnt troubling? The fact that when launched the MGM stock prices was $100 a share and it is now at $14 isnt troublesome? That this place was a stretch in the best of times and is assuredly facing something less than that isnt troubling?

Didn't Sheik Mo finance this? If so where is the indoor Skiing? Imagine all the horses Bin Suror could have ruined with another 3 bil?

The podunk tracks should be limited to two days a week and the big tracks at 3 days a week.

Quite frankly some of these owners, trainers, and jockeys should find another line of work. It's sickening watching these jug blowers (West Virginia) and farmers (Iowa) make good money with a s.hit product.

The welfare needs to end.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Grasping at strws? You are now analyzing my choice of words?

The fact that of the 109 condo units sold so far all have been 100% financed by City center themselves isnt troubling to you? The fact they were planning on $2.7 billion dollars in revenue of condo sales at the height of the market isnt troubling? The fact that when launched the MGM stock prices was $100 a share and it is now at $14 isnt troublesome? That this place was a stretch in the best of times and is assuredly facing something less than that isnt troubling?

You can't get condo financing in Nevada, Arizona, Florida and parts of california with Fannie Mae unless you have at least 20% down as an owner occupant and over 25% as an investor...if the condo is warrantable. Those condos aren't warrantable because of lack of presale and/or investor concentration. FHA is going to be the same problem. Considering those two entities make up over 90% of all loans closed and no bank is going to portfolio a loan for a vegas condo without 50% skin in the game, the fact that the project is doing the financing is to be expected. That will change as the market stabilizes.

Are you really going to compare gaming stock prices in 2003 to 2010 and blame it on city center? Come on Chuck.

They aren't far from profitablity. I can't help that you can't understand that.

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

You can't get condo financing in Nevada, Arizona, Florida and parts of california with Fannie Mae unless you have at least 20% down as an owner occupant and over 25% as an investor...if the condo is warrantable. Those condos aren't warrantable because of lack of presale and/or investor concentration. FHA is going to be the same problem. Considering those two entities make up over 90% of all loans closed and no bank is going to portfolio a loan for a vegas casino without 50% skin in the game, the fact that the project is doing the financing is to be expected. That will change as the market stabilizes.

Are you really going to compare gaming stock prices in 2003 to 2010 and blame it on city center? Come on Chuck.

They aren't far from profitablity. I can't help that you can't understand that.

Maybe they can do a package deal with free skiing at the Xandu at the Meadowlands.. They shout get Dubai to buy that Turkey also they needs some quality in the portfolio

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

You can't get condo financing in Nevada, Arizona, Florida and parts of california with Fannie Mae unless you have at least 20% down as an owner occupant and over 25% as an investor...if the condo is warrantable. Those condos aren't warrantable because of lack of presale and/or investor concentration. FHA is going to be the same problem. Considering those two entities make up over 90% of all loans closed and no bank is going to portfolio a loan for a vegas casino without 50% skin in the game, the fact that the project is doing the financing is to be expected. That will change as the market stabilizes.

Are you really going to compare gaming stock prices in 2003 to 2010 and blame it on city center? Come on Chuck.

They aren't far from profitablity. I can't help that you can't understand that.

The arent that far from profitability. Ok.

They have already marked the condo prices down 30% and they had as many people walk away and give up their deposits as people who bought places. They have to provide all the financing for the few people that do want to buy. Thier centerpiece hotel opened and is 23% off the rest of the strip in occupancy. They have a $500 million dollar construction expense dispute.

So virtually no one is buying their condos. As many people walked away as bought. The few that did buy cant get financing anywhere else. No one is staying in their hotel. And you claim that they are close to profitability. I suppose that MGM stock should be a strong buy that $14 then? How much MGM stock do you own since you seem to be closing your eyes and wishing that all the bad news clouds would disappear?

I am not saying that City center was the entire reason that the stock tanked but the fact is that companies flush with cash will operate in a different plane than those who are having losing quarters.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

The arent that far from profitability. Ok.

They have already marked the condo prices down 30% and they had as many people walk away and give up their deposits as people who bought places. They have to provide all the financing for the few people that do want to buy. Thier centerpiece hotel opened and is 23% off the rest of the strip in occupancy. They have a $500 million dollar construction expense dispute.

So virtually no one is buying their condos. As many people walked away as bought. The few that did buy cant get financing anywhere else. No one is staying in their hotel. And you claim that they are close to profitability. I suppose that MGM stock should be a strong but that $14 then? How much MGM stock do you own since you seem to be closing your eyes and wishing that all the bad news clouds would disappear?

Actually, if you changed your google search, you might find that the convention booking is surging for the second half of 2010 and into 2011 and occupancy will be greater than 80%. The reason they were running at lower occupancy was to protect their price point which is going to be higher being geared to convention business.

Aria has actually improved occupancy in each successive month since its open. Remember, the average price per night is $194 vs.97.21 for the rest of the strip. May bookings indicate over 80% occupancy.

[philcski]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

The arent that far from profitability. Ok.

They have already marked the condo prices down 30% and they had as many people walk away and give up their deposits as people who bought places. They have to provide all the financing for the few people that do want to buy. Thier centerpiece hotel opened and is 23% off the rest of the strip in occupancy. They have a $500 million dollar construction expense dispute.

So virtually no one is buying their condos. As many people walked away as bought. The few that did buy cant get financing anywhere else. No one is staying in their hotel. And you claim that they are close to profitability. I suppose that MGM stock should be a strong buy that $14 then? How much MGM stock do you own since you seem to be closing your eyes and wishing that all the bad news clouds would disappear?

I am not saying that City center was the entire reason that the stock tanked but the fact is that companies flush with cash will operate in a different plane than those who are having losing quarters.

I've never been a proponent of the project, because I think it's far too ambitious in terms of residential plans in the current (new) economy especially given their debt load when the project started- and on top of that siphons off business from their premier product next door, but the fact is they will be profitable at 75% occupancy at their current room rates based on their most recent 10Q and independent research. So- they are in fact close to profitability.