Summary
- The Village property was acquired by Three Affiliated Tribes based in North Dakota
- The site is infamous for being known as the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history
- The Tribes could build a casino at the site which is located on the Las Vegas Strip
MGM Resorts International has confirmed the sale of its Village property, the site of the 2017 Route 91 Harvest Festival tragedy. The land was sold to the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota.
Massacre Site Gets New Owner
Announcing the news via an email to MGM employees, the company’s president Bill Hornbuckle praised the Three Affiliated Tribes for demonstrating that they care about the Village, its future, and its past. He also said the decision was made after “tremendous thought”.
The 13-acre site was the venue of the 2017 Route 91 Harvest Festival. The massive event was held on October 1 of that year with thousands of concertgoers in attendance.
The sold-out country music festival, which attracted over 22,000 fans, turned tragic when a gunman, identified as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, opened fire on the crowd from his 32nd-floor hotel room in Mandalay Bay. The attack killed 60 people (including Paddock who shot himself) and injured more than 800.
Since that incident, the Village property has been left dormant. In 2019, MGM revealed plans to build a parking facility at the site intended for key events at Allegiant Stadium, including football games by the UNLV Rebels and the Raiders. The company also wanted to develop a community and an athletic center in the area. The project didn’t push through due to the pandemic.
In August 2021, MGM Resorts decided to donate a 2-acre lot located on the northeast corner of the site to Clark County to be used for the October 1 memorial.
New Casino Could Rise on the Strip
The Village is the second major Strip land acquired by Three Affiliated Tribes. During the Tribes’ first major purchase in 2020 involving an 8.7-acre land south of the Route Harvest Festival site, Tribal Chairman Mark Fox said they’re considering various developments for the site, including a casino.
The purchase of the Village has been described as a “sound investment” by John Fredericks III, a lawyer representing the Tribes, though he said there are no immediate specific plans for development in the property.
Three Affiliated Tribes are no strangers to casino operations, having operated the 4 Bears Casino & Lodge in North Dakota for nearly three decades.
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