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How Las Vegas Missed Out on a Life-Sized Starship Enterprise

Posted by timothy on from the oh-the-the-huge-manatee dept.

T-Kir writes "Apparently 20 years ago, instead of the Fremont Experience, downtown Las Vegas was actually close to building a life sized version of the refit USS Enterprise, and would have — had it not been for the then studio chairman Stanley Jaffe nixing it at the final meeting. The project had support from Paramount licensing and then-CEO Sherry Lansing, the Las Vegas Mayor, and the downtown redevelopment committee, but not opinion of Mr Jaffe: 'I don't want to be the guy that approved this and then it's a flop and sitting out there in Vegas forever.' As a Trek fan, I'm saddened that this never got built because I feel that this would've appealed to a much wider audience than science fiction fans. Props to io9 for picking this story up."

5 of 240 comments (clear)

  1. RAGE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    KAHN!!!

  2. Really just as well by SuperKendall · · Score: 5, Insightful

    While it sounds awesome, the guy who cancelled it is right on the money - it would have just sat there for some time languisingh after the novelty wore off for people.

    Vegas already had the coolest Star Trek exhibit/show I've ever seen (Qwark's bar and two really well done shows). That is gone now. If those great shows could not survive, no way the Enterprise would have lasted.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Really just as well by El_Muerte_TDS · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Just like the novelty of the Eifel Tower, Liberty Statue, Tower of Pisa, etc. have worn off?

  3. Re:WHICH ONE?! by icebike · · Score: 5, Insightful

    1701-D would have been huge, perhaps too large to be feasible, the !701-A was 289 M long, 72 M high and 127 meters wide which would make it a lot more feasible

    " Feasible" isn't a word that comes immediately to mind as a limiting convept while walking around in Vegas.

    --
    Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
  4. Re:They are timeless and universal by sjames · · Score: 5, Funny

    Why not? We did it for the Washington Monument which is nothing but a giant rock dildo.

    But it so perfectly symbolizes what the People have come to expect from D.C.