A new nightclub is rising up from the ashes of the troubled Utopia. The Empire Ballroom, behind the Walgreens at 3765 Las Vegas Blvd. S., promises to return patrons to an era of lost elegance and service, according to Salvatore Jenco, general manager and visionary.
The sunken dance floor has been filled and the stage extended, but for now, the rest is stripped-down walls and floors. The vision, then, comes from a nifty, 3-D, animated tour played out on Jenco's laptop to the sounds of Miles Davis' "Freddie Freeloader." But Jenco—who last captained LA's Viper Room with his 21 Jumpstreet friend, Johnny Depp—is so passionate about the project, there is little room for doubt.
A new VIP area is being constructed Strip-side. A second VIP area will be to the dance floor's side, a third will consist of eight alcoves on the second floor, and a fourth will be on the upstairs patio. The Strip-side and patio areas will have their own video and sound systems, able to broadcast the main rooms' action—or something completely different, as customers request. In total, the approximately 16,000-square-foot club will have room for 1,301, all treated as VIPs, as Jenco says people were in the 1920s, '30s and '40s. "It will have a classy, upscale, luxurious, '30s-speakeasy feel," he says. Heck, there'll even be a coat-check girl.
On the laptop's screen and in Jenco's eyes, there will be exposed brick walls, candle sconces and a custom-made, 9-foot-by-7-foot chandelier with intelligent lighting effects tucked away inside. The color scheme will incorporate a lot of reds, browns and burgundies. Parking concerns will be addressed with valet service and access to three lots behind the club.
Comparing the venue to soup, Jenco says it's important to concentrate on the broth. Make the broth as toothsome as possible, and you can add chicken, beef, fish, anything, and you'll still have a great soup. Similarly, Empire Ballroom will play host to DJs, live music, private events and even live theater.
Jenco is most proud of the sound system by France-based L-Acoustics, including a cutting-edge, tweaked Kudo V-DOSC speaker running off of a Midas XL4 mixer. Basically, he explains, it means the music will be cleaner and not as blaring as at other clubs.
Vegas clubgoers will be able to check that out for themselves soon, with a soft opening scheduled for mid-August, followed by an opening party in late September.
"We're not looking to compete with anyone at all," Jenco says. "We're looking to be the competition."