Few Vegas sites have the history—and predestiny—of the extended block running between 2 and 32 Fremont Street.
Holding the corner of Fremont and Main Street from 1906 to 1977, the Overland was Vegas’ second hotel and first building with a neon sign, featuring a train engine, in 1928. The property’s “Big Free Sample Room” was prototypical convention space, while sports updates wired into the bar from the nearby Las Vegas train station effectively made it the first sportsbook.
Opened in 1908, Las Vegas Club, home of the first “one-armed bandit” slot machine, moved into 18 Fremont in 1949, partially taking over the Overland. Originally a mercantile store, 22 Fremont later became Glitter Gulch (1980), featuring famed neon cowgirl Vegas Vickie, before merging into the Golden Goose Casino. Six casinos called 32 Fremont home, from Silver Palace (1956) through Mermaid’s (1999).
Keep those properties in mind as Michigan-born brothers Derek and Greg Stevens enter the chronology.
In 2006, Derek, CEO of the family’s automotive parts manufacturing company and a sports-loving Vegas regular since the 1980s, purchased Vegas’ original hotel, the Golden Gate, which debuted in 1906 across from the Overland as Hotel Nevada.
In 2011, the brothers acquired and rebranded nearby Fitzgerald’s (1980) as D Las Vegas. They subsequently purchased Las Vegas Club, Glitter Gulch and Mermaid’s as part of an eight-parcel assemblage of the 2-32 Fremont footprint.
What began with the Golden Gate to relocate the brothers’ investment portfolio to non-income tax Nevada became “the conduit between the Las Vegas of yesterday and the Las Vegas of tomorrow.”
After demolishing the entire block, they constructed downtown’s first new ground-up resort since Fitzgeralds. Opened in late 2020, Circa Resort & Casino fulfilled their vision of introducing “a modern, luxury resort experience that honored the iconic legacy of Downtown Las Vegas.”
[Related: Nevada Holds on Via Stable Convention Traffic During Rough Year]
Offering 618 rooms, including 64 suites, the 60-story adults-only (21 and older, ID required for admission) tower transformed and reenergized Downtown Las Vegas. Attracting both a loyal leisure and group base, Circa’s vertically stacked amenities include the world’s largest sportsbook: a three-story, 1,000-capacity, ultra-high resolution (78-million-pixel screen) wonder for catching all the action.
Another eye-popping spectacle is Stadium Swim. The tiered amphitheater-style outdoor pool complex, the largest in Vegas, features a 143-foot-tall TV screen for watching sports and, for groups, hosting brand activations. Heated in winter, the year-round venue flexibly hosts parties, receptions and even general sessions for up to 3,000 people. The internal escalator ride to the complex is a trip.
Homages to vintage Vegas abound. Refurbished by legendary Vegas sign company YESCO, Vegas Vickie now welcomes guests to her namesake lobby bar. Busts of Benny Binion, Howard Hughes, Steve Wynn and other Vegas icons welcome guests to the Legacy Club, the resort’s panoramic 60th-floor indoor/outdoor cocktail lounge.
Accommodating up to 400 people, it’s Circa’s top-selling space for buyouts and corporate customers, which represent 80% of group business. The award-winning mixologists are among the best in Vegas—engaging conversation included.
Circa mixes unapologetic old school Vegas fun with efficient, productive business on the dedicated 35,000-square-foot meeting and conference floor. Versatile venues include nine breakout rooms, several named after vintage Vegas motels; a spacious prefunction area with a check-in desk that transforms into a mini-sportsbook; a 1,600-square-foot outdoor terrace; and a divisible 14,456-square-foot Galaxy Ballroom. Circa’s in-house AV team eliminates third-party markups, saving planners 30% or more off the bat.
Circa’s culinary collection includes Barry’s Downtown Prime, a top-tier vintage-meets-modern steakhouse from veteran Vegas chef/owner Barry Dakake, featuring private event spaces named after legendary casinos. Visible for miles around, Circa is a beacon that uniquely blends Vegas’ past, present and future.
