$2 Million Upgrade for Il Fornaio and More at NY-NY

Not all the dramatic changes at New York-New York are facing the Strip. Il Fornaio, the 8,800-square-foot Italian restaurant and bakery located inside the resort, has allocated a publicly declared $2 million for remodeling. The chain first opened in Las Vegas in 1996 and for seven years ran an outpost at Green Valley Ranch. The company also operates Canaletto Ristorante Veneto at the Venetian.

News of this remodel preceded New York-New York's announcement of the closing of their Broadway Theater on July 21. The shuttering is part of the $100 million makeover along Las Vegas Boulevard, creating a new promenade stretching from the Monte Carlo to New York-New York's Statue of Liberty water feature. Already nearing completion in the first phase of changes is the $1.6 million upgrade of the Nine Fine Irishmen pub.

Still to come, the Broadway Theater space will make way for some of the six new retail tenants to serve this promenade. New glass storefronts will allow easier access to this plaza and modernize the look.

Also on tap is a re-working of The Sporting House Bar & Grill corner property. Proposals call for a remodel or replacement for the venture that will downsize the footprint to 13,489-square-feet. Currently the bar occupies 33,000 square feet of space.

On the opposite side of the resort, the current Soho Village retail area will make way for a two-story "interactive, experiential" Hershey's Chocolate World. All construction is hoped to be finished by early 2014.
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