The Forum Shops at Caesars

History

In April 1987, Caesars Palace announced plans to add a shopping center north of the resort, to be known as the Forum at Caesars. It would be developed by Los Angeles businessman Sheldon Gordon through The Gordon Company. Gordon and Caesars World had spent more than two years planning the project prior to its announcement. The 8.4-acre property had previously been used for the unsuccessful Caesars Palace Grand Prix. Henry Gluck, chairman of Caesars World, reviewed numerous options for redeveloping the site. The idea to replace the racetrack with a shopping mall was devised by Gordon, a longtime friend of Gluck.

Marnell Corrao Associates designed the mall project and worked as general contractor, Melvin Simon & Associates (later Simon Property Group) joined as co-developer, with construction starting in November 1990. Caesars leased the mall land to its developers, which would manage operations, and Caesars would also receive a portion of the tenant rents.

Stores at the Forum Shops began gradually opening on May 1, 1992. In addition to retail and restaurants, the mall also included a show featuring animatronic statues. Before its opening, the idea of a themed retail mall on the Las Vegas Strip had been met with some skepticism. Another retail center, Fashion Show Mall, had opened on the Strip in 1981. However, it lacked the theme and entertainment features offered at the Forum Shops.

A $65 million expansion was announced in November 1993. It eventually opened on August 29, 1997. Marnell and Dougall returned to design the addition.

A third expansion was announced in 1998. However, the project was delayed by Starwood Hotels's sale of Caesars Palace to Park Place Entertainment, a deal that was finalized at the end of 1999. Construction was expected to begin by early 2001, but this was further delayed by leadership changes within Park Place. Meanwhile, Gordon felt that he was being left out of decisions made by Simon Property Group regarding the mall. Construction on the three-story expansion eventually began in January 2003. Simon also operates the mall.

The $139 million It was designed by KGA Architecture, while Dougall again returned as interior designer. Perini Building Company was the general contractor. The expansion helped the Forum Shops stay competitive against newer malls on the Strip, including the Grand Canal Shoppes and Desert Passage.

In 2009, Simon was sued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which alleged that four Hispanic janitors at the Forum Shops were subjected to discriminatory treatment a few years earlier. With its lawsuit, the EEOC aimed to prevent such treatment in the future and also sought monetary damages for the janitors, who had since stopped working at the mall. In 2011, Simon agreed to settle the case for $125,000.

Features

Like Caesars Palace, a Roman theme is used throughout the Forum Shops. The mall features an abundance of marble, The interior includes sky-painted ceilings which change from day to night.

The Forum Shops opened with 240000 sqft of leasable space, and included approximately 60 tenants consisting of stores and restaurants. The project added 57 tenants, including stores and restaurants.

The mall has 675000 sqft of leasable tenant space. It has approximately 160 tenants, including 145 retailers and 15 restaurants. The mall receives an average of 50,000 visitors per day. Approximately 20 percent of the mall's clientele are local residents, with tourists making up the remainder. By 1997, the Forum Shops had become the highest grossing mall in the U.S., measured in terms of sales per square foot. It would retain this title until 2016.

The shops connect to the casino floor at Caesars Palace. Upon opening, moving sidewalks allowed pedestrians to enter the mall from the Las Vegas Strip, although the only way to exit was through the casino.

The three-story expansion includes a skylight,

Stores

Upon the mall's opening, notable stores included Gianni Versace, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Victoria's Secret, and Warner Bros. Studio Store. New retailers added in the 1997 expansion included Bernini, Emporio Armani, Fendi, Hugo Boss, Lalique, Max Mara, Niketown, and Virgin Megastores.

The 1997 project also added a three-story FAO Schwarz toy store, measuring 56000 sqft. It was the largest store at the mall, and featured numerous animatronics, including a Trojan Horse rising more than 40 feet. The store was a key attraction for the Forum Shops. Two years later, the store added an ice cream parlor, bakery and candy shop. FAO Schwarz closed in 2010, which operated until 2024.

The 2004 expansion added many designer tenants, including Carolina Herrera, Celine, Chrome Hearts, Custo Barcelona, Giuseppe Zanotti, Kiehl's, Peter Max, and Thomas Pink. It also marked the first U.S. location for Juicy Couture. Tourneau's store grew from 1036 sqft to 13410 sqft, making it the largest watch store in the U.S.

In 2005, the Forum Shops added an exotic car dealership featuring new and used vehicles in a 34000 sqft showroom, including 8000 sqft of retail space. Other retailers added since then have included Christian Lacroix, Intermix, De Beers, and Tiffany & Co.

Shows

Upon opening, the Forum Shops debuted with the Festival Fountain, It was the site of a free hourly show featuring lasers and animatronic statues depicting Apollo, Bacchus, Plutus, and Venus. The show was redesigned in 1997, receiving reskinned animatronics, different lighting effects, and a new sound system. and their dialogue was difficult for some to understand. The fountain remains in place.

Another free fountain show opened with the 1997 expansion, featuring its own animatronic statues. The show depicts King Atlas and his children; the latter feud over who will have control of Atlantis, which is ultimately sunk. The show incorporates fire and water effects. The Atlantis Show reopened in 2013, following a four-month makeover. It was the show's first overhaul, and included new skin and costumes for the animatronics, which were a key attraction for the mall.

A paid motion-simulator ride, Race for Atlantis, also opened at the end of 1997. It was conceived by Gordon and created by IMAX Corporation. The show depicted Neptune as he battled for control of Atlantis. It closed in 2004, and was replaced by the mall's car dealership.

Restaurants

The Forum Shops opened with 11 dining establishments. An Italian seafood restaurant, Lombardi's, also opened with the mall. Shortly thereafter, Lombardi's was sold and became part of the Bertolini's chain of Italian restaurants. It was again renamed as Trevi in 2007, following a renovation. It was located beside the Fountain of the Gods, until its closure in 2024.

The Palm, another Italian restaurant serving steak and seafood, opened in 1993 and continues to operate. A Planet Hollywood restaurant opened in 1994, and included an exterior sign featuring a 25-foot diameter globe. Planet Hollywood moved to a new mall spot in 2012, further from the casino entrance. The restaurant closed in 2023, citing reduced business as a result of the new location.

The Cheesecake Factory was among new restaurants added in the 1997 expansion, along with Caviarteria, focusing primarily on caviar dishes and champagnes. Puck also opened another restaurant, Chinois, which operated until 2009.

The 2004 expansion added five restaurants, including Sushi Roku, and Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab. Stage Deli, an original tenant which began in New York, closed at the Forum Shops in 2008.

An Italian restaurant, Carmine's, opened in 2013. At 27000 sqft, it is among the largest restaurants on the Strip. Several new restaurants were added in 2019, including Water Grill, which took the former Spago space. In 2022, Bill and Giuliana Rancic opened the RPM Italian restaurant.

Nightclub

A nightclub, OPM, opened in 2003. The space was sub-leased by Chinois, before closing in 2009.

Two years prior to the closure, Simon Property Group had filed a suit against Chinois' ownership company, alleging that it misrepresented the type of club that OPM would be. Poetry owner Mike Goodwin later filed a suit against the mall, noting that its main entrance gate was shut on Friday and Saturday nights, giving many patrons the mistaken impression that the nearby club was closed on such nights. Instead, club-goers had to enter by passing through a back-of-house corridor.

Regarding the gate closures, Goodwin accused the mall of racial discrimination, noting that the club's clientele was primarily African-American. According to Goodwin, "There is a belief in Corporate America that too many black people on your property harms business. It seems to be the way they are acting". The mall rejected the accusation while noting incidents involving disruptive club-goers. Caesars Palace stated that the gate closures were "in response to serious breaches of the peace that put Caesars' patrons, employees and others on Caesars' premises at risk of physical harm". A judge eventually dismissed Goodwin's lawsuit.

Gallery

File:Forum Shops at Caesars Palace.jpg|Close-up of the Strip entrance File:Caesars Palace Forums Vegas (3824698845).jpg|Three-story area of the mall File:Caesars Palace shopping center Interior 2013.jpg|View from the third floor File:Caesars Palace Forums Vegas (3824698439).jpg|Water feature in the three-story area File:Ceasar S Palace Architecture (203239327).jpeg|Same area at night File:Caryatid inside Caesar's Palace.jpg|A caryatid in the three-story area of the mall File:Caesars Palace Shops (7980290463).jpg|Another statue elsewhere in the mall File:The Forum Shops - 2020-03-04.jpg|Darkened sky ceiling File:Water Grill - Las Vegas - Dec 2019 - Stierch 02.jpg|Water Grill restaurant File:Las Vegas Strip Nevada, United States - panoramio (2).jpg|Trevi restaurant File:Fountain of the Gods at Caesars Palace.jpg|Fountain of the Gods File:The Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace.jpg|Replica of the Trevi Fountain File:The Forum Shops at Caesars exterior.jpg|Trevi Fountain at night File:Replica Trevi Fountain 2.jpg|A closer look at the Trevi Fountain File:The Forum Shops Angled Shot.jpg|Signage and sculptures above the Trevi fountain

References

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