LAS VEGAS—Finding enough land on the Las Vegas Strip to build the world's largest observation (a.k.a., Ferris) wheel was no easy task, but Caesars Entertainment Corp. came up with an ingenious solution: “borrow” parcels from neighboring properties and create a composite parcel that will accommodate the build. Angela Otto, a shareholder with law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck here, who worked with Caesars to get the Linq's High Roller built, tells GlobeSt.com that the solution made total sense.

“It's one of those situations where they had seen a development opportunity, but didn't have enough land in one parcel, so they took from properties that could spare some land,” says Otto. “O'Sheas Casino was the base, which leads into the Linq, right in between the Flamingo and the Quad (which used to be Imperial Palace).”

As GlobeSt.com previously reported, in August 2011, Ceasars began to develop the Linq, a $550-million retail/dining/entertainment experience across from Caesars Palace with shops, restaurants and bars that now lead into the High Roller. The wheel itself stands 550 ft. tall and opened earlier this month. It took more than two years to complete, and Otto says many approvals needed to be obtained. “A lot of materials were sent here for it to be constructed, and the wheel had to be tested for stability and safety. It has a kickstand, similar to what a bike would have, that's huge. We have a lot of wind here in Las Vegas, and it had to withstand that.”

Otto adds that the High Roller is a “way to bring people here and have them look around. The Linq also offers venues like the Brooklyn Bowl, a concert venue, and Sprinkles Cupcakes.”

Even though the Quad and the Flamingo hotels/casinos remained open during the High Roller's development, Otto says the two properties weren't greatly affected by the construction. O'Sheas, on the other hand, was closed down and renovated during that time. “The difference is really that the O'Sheas space is part of the Quad now. O'Sheas was the critical point as far as this project was concerned.”

The building of the High Roller was a great example of creating a new development out of one's existing property, Otto says. “Most developers would just buy new land or property and develop it from the ground up. This is a good example of making something new from what you have.”

One moving piece to the development was the monorail, which is at the bottom of the Linq project and has one of its tracks running through the Linq. “There was coordination with the monorail and the utility companies,” says Otto. “When you have an existing property, you have to work and cooperate and coordinate with all the different parties involved to make it work. You have everything in place for a different purpose and now you're going to repurpose the property.”

The finished project is an amenity for the Flamingo and the Quad, which has an entrance to the Linq, since they can promote the High Roller to their guests. “It's a neat project in a way that's different from some of the others that have happened here.”