This past Thursday, District Judge Gloria Sturman approved the sale of the long-shuttered White Sands Motel property, located across from the Luxor Hotel. The new owners are a North Dakota tribal nation that paid $10.25 million for the property.
The Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation are the buyers, and they already own nearly 22 acres along the south edge of Las Vegas’ famed resort corridor.
The parcel is narrow, 1.1-acre, and surrounded on three sides by the former Route 91 Harvest festival site, which was purchased last year by the tribal group also known as Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation. When it completes the newest purchase, MHA Nation will have spent a total of roughly $115 million for real estate along Las Vegas Boulevard.
The White Sands Motel was built in 1959 and advertised as a beautiful place offering TV, coffee, and air conditioning. The motel closed around 2008 and has been in rough shape for years, with a history of vandalism, vagrants, and feral cats.
The property has been on the market at different times with sliding prices but hasn’t sold. The property was on the market in spring 2022 for $12 million, down from $18 million in 2021 and $25 million in 2016.
Bryan Lowe, attorney for a beneficiary of the estate, said at Thursday’s court hearing that the property had been appraised multiple times in recent years, with three valuations above $17 million. “The value is there… It’s just finding the right buyer,” Lowe said.
Judge Sturman stated that the tribal nation was “here with their money in hand” and noted that previous attempts to sell the property had fallen through.
MHA Nation, owner of the 4 Bears casino in North Dakota, started buying land in Las Vegas in summer 2020, when it purchased an 8.7-acre lot immediately east of the former Route 91 site for $12 million through a bankruptcy case.
Mark Fox, chairman of MHA, said he had been eyeing activity in Las Vegas for years. His group had no concrete plans for the site. MHA Nation then acquired most of the 15-acre former Route 91 site for about $92M from casino giant MGM Resorts International in late December.
MGM set aside 2 acres of land for the October 1 Memorial. MHA said it “wholeheartedly supports” the memorial site for the Las Vegas massacre.
Time will tell what type of structure we will see on the property.
Keep in mind that whether you are interested in buying or selling a home, a Realtor should represent you– this person is working for your benefit and will help you navigate through the buying or selling process. We have celebrated selling both New and Resale homes for over thirty years.
We are here to answer any questions you might have; just email Jennifer at jennifer@smithteamlasvegas.com.
Thanks, and make it a terrific day.
