Downtown Las Vegas casino owner and developer Derek Stevens cemented his legacy as an innovative force in the city’s unique history on Oct. 28. That’s when Circa Resort & Casino made its debut on the historic corner of Fremont and Main streets, the first brand-new casino resort in the downtown area in decades.

But it wasn’t just the latest property to open and generate fresh excitement for Las Vegas visitors. Circa is the culmination of what Stevens—a Michigan native, huge sports fan and aficionado of the classic Vegas experience—has learned from his experiences acquiring and operating the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino; purchasing another downtown property, Fitzgeralds, and renovating it into The D Casino & Hotel on the opposite end of the Fremont Street Experience; and developing the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center and his own Circa|Sports betting operation.

And now that Stevens and his team have cleared the initial Circa casino opening and the follow-up hotel tower opening two months later, he has taken time to assess how things are going, what it meant to many people to create something new in Las Vegas during the challenges of the pandemic, and how he can further enhance this bold new experience.

“Opening in two phases really helped us out a bit and allowed us to focus on the different elements at Circa,” he says. “It’s been fun to see how Garage Mahal would work, how the Stadium Swim product would work, and the world’s largest sportsbook has been cool. In October, everyone came in and was so excited, you could feel their energy. They had smiles behind the masks.

“Then, on Dec. 28, we opened the hotel tower and the rooftop Legacy Club, and that was a whole other process with people not just visiting but staying with us for the first time. It’s been pretty uplifting to see how excited people are, not just to visit with us but to come to Las Vegas as a whole. It’s been pretty dramatic.”

Dramatic is a great way to describe the Legacy Club, a refined bar and lounge on Circa’s 60th floor with unbelievable panoramic views of the valley. Stevens says he knew it would be a popular and striking destination, but he underestimated its romantic potential.

“I’ve been up there a lot and I’m personally aware of four proposals that have happened so far at Legacy Club,” he says. “To think that this is the location people are choosing to propose, that’s an honor. To see a guy going down on one knee and giving his girlfriend a ring at our place is so cool.”

Another highlight has been celebrating the Super Bowl throughout the property, which is rich in sports-viewing spots beyond the obvious sportsbook and outdoor pool complex furnished with a 40-foot-tall, hi-def screen. Stevens has also been surprised at the popularity of Stadium Swim at night.

“I felt very comfortable that Stadium Swim was going to work and people would love being outdoors and getting some sunshine, but people also love renting cabanas once the sun sets and coming out to watch a game,” he says. “Evening bookings have been far ahead of our expectations.” Circa has been universally well-received, and things can only get better from here, especially considering that pandemic restrictions are loosening up and entertainment programming along the Fremont Street Experience is expected to resume soon. That will enable Circa to better connect with Golden Gate, The D and its other downtown neighbors, hopefully building some exciting new energy, Stevens says.

“That energy along Fremont Street is going be something once we get those bands back onstage and the other entertainment comes back,” he says. “And when the shutdown happened, we had this hidden gem at The D that hasn’t been tapped yet, and we’re excited to see how it comes along, and that’s Bar Canada. It’s in the sportsbook and it turned into a pretty cool little hangout we never got to present properly.”

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