Miracle Mile Shops

Miracle Mile Shops was originally known as Desert Passage, and was built along with the Aladdin resort on the Las Vegas Strip. Both the mall and resort featured an Arabian theme.[1] Plans for Desert Passage were announced in March 1997.[2][3][4] The mall was built at a cost of $290 million,[5][6] and was designed to compete with the Forum Shops, also on the Strip.[7] TrizecHahn owned the majority two-thirds of the mall, with Sommer Family Trust as minority owner. The trust, headed by real estate developer Jack Sommer, was also majority owner of the Aladdin.[8][9]

Actress Barbara Eden, who portrayed a genie on the 1960s television series I Dream of Jeannie, dressed in character and reprised the role for the debut of Desert Passage, which opened on August 17, 2000.[10][11] The mall expected to attract 50,000 visitors daily.[12] Early revenue was poor,[13][14] and new stores were added in an effort to improve business.[5][15] The mall's poor sales and foot traffic were attributed to financial problems at the Aladdin,[16] which filed for bankruptcy in 2001. Trizec believed that Desert Passage would rebound once the Aladdin emerged from bankruptcy.[17] Disgruntled tenants accused management of poor advertising and failure to sign a major anchor tenant.[18] Trizec dismissed tenant allegations that the mall's visitor counts were being inflated in order to justify the current leasing rates.[17][19] Because of a large number of tenant vacancies, the mall was eventually nicknamed "Deserted Passage" by its critics.[20][21][22]

In 2003, Planet Hollywood International announced that it would purchase the Aladdin and rebrand it as a Planet Hollywood resort. Desert Passage tenants were optimistic that the change would benefit the mall,[23] and prospective buyers emerged soon after the announcement.[24] New York developer David Edelstein and RFR Holding purchased Desert Passage in December 2003, for $240.5 million. They owned it through a joint venture known as Boulevard Invest. Urban Retail Properties was hired to manage the mall.[25][26][27]

Desert Passage entrance along the Strip, 2003

Miracle Mile Shops in 2011

In connection with the Aladdin rebranding, renovation work began on the mall in 2006, with plans to rename it Miracle Mile Shops.[20][28] The name change took effect on May 1, 2007.[29][30] Unlike its predecessor, Miracle Mile Shops sought to focus on affordability rather than high-end luxury.[31][32] General manager Russell Joyner described the renovation, which cost over $60 million,[31] as "Hollywood meets Times Square on the Vegas Strip."[33] The renovated mall included a brighter design by Gensler.[30] The project also included the removal of cobblestone flooring, which had been the subject of visitor complaints.[31] Sales and foot traffic saw an increase following the changes.[32][34] As of 2009, the mall had annual visitation of 22 million, up from 15 million in 2004. Approximately 90 percent of the visitors were tourists.[31]

In 2016, the mall was sold for approximately $1 billion to Institutional Mall Investors LLC, a joint venture of Miller Capital Advisory and CalPERS.[35][36] Planning for another renovation began in 2017, and work was set to begin in 2020, although this was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Work eventually began in January 2022, and took place in phases, allowing the mall to remain open. The renovation concluded in June 2023.[37] More than 20,000 sq ft (1,900 m²) of LED screens were added to the mall's exterior and interior as part of the renovation work,[37] which also included new flooring, lighting, and ceilings.[38] As of 2022, Miracle Mile Shops had 26 million visitors annually, and had seen nearly 470 million visitors since its initial opening in 2000.[39]

Desert Passage interior, 2004

The mall was built out in a 1.2 mile-long,[31] circular floorplan.[12] It includes 475,000 sq ft (44,100 m²) of space,[31][16] and opened with 130 stores and 14 restaurants.[7] Notable retailers included Aveda, Clinique, Hugo Boss, Sephora, Tommy Bahama, and Z Gallerie.[8][40][41] Desert Passage marked the Las Vegas debut for many tenants, including Build-A-Bear Workshop.[12][42] The mall has 170 tenants as of 2023.[37]

Desert Passage was designed by RTKL Associates.[1][43] The mall featured sky painted ceilings and more than 100 lamps custom-made in Morocco.[40] To maintain the Arabian theme, tenants were restricted from having oversized display windows, and signage was required to be discreet.[8][40][43] Individualized storefronts were allowed once the mall transitioned into Miracle Mile Shops,[30] although portions of the Arabian theme were left in place and remain as of 2023.[37]

Upon the mall's opening, restaurant tenants included Commander's Palace, which originated in New Orleans.[44][45][46][47] The mall also featured a branch of New York's Blue Note Jazz Club,[7][48] marking only the second U.S. location. The venue offered seating for 500 people, and also included the 150-seat Blue Note Cafe.[49] The club operated at Desert Passage until 2003,[50] while Commander's Palace closed four years later.[51] Other notable tenants have included Tipsy Robot, which opened in 2017 and features robot bartenders.[52]

Indoor rain show, 2018

Desert Passage initially featured more than 30 performers who provided entertainment throughout the mall on a daily basis. Performers included acrobats, a contortionist, musicians, and dancers.[53][54] Since its opening, the mall interior has also featured a faux freighter and a rain show,[7][55][56] the latter of which was updated in the 2023 renovation.[38][37]

Desert Passage originally included the 15,000 sq ft (1,400 m²) Alakazam Food Court, which closed due to poor business in September 2002.[19][57] In January 2003, the former food court was converted into Sevilla, a restaurant and nightclub with Charo as headliner.[58][59] Sevilla filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy less than four months after opening.[50][60] It became the Ovation Theatre & Events Center later that year.[61][62] In 2004, producer David Saxe purchased the space for $3 million and converted it into the V Theater and Event Center.[63] A $4 million renovation of the V Theater was underway in 2007, to make better use of the space.[64]

Magician Steve Wyrick opened a separate 500-seat theater in 2007, overseeing many details of its construction.[65][66] The Wyrick Theater closed in 2009, and Saxe took it over the following year, renaming it the Saxe Theater and operating it concurrently with the V Theater.[67][68][69]

• Official website
• Miracle Mile Shops unveiled
• Media related to Miracle Mile Shops at Wikimedia Commons