MGM Resorts converting site of Las Vegas mass shooting into community center
The Las Vegas property where 59 people were killed and hundreds more injured in the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history is going to be converted into a community center.
MGM Resorts, which owns the property known as the Village, announced on Tuesday that the company plans to build a community and athletic center on the north end of the site that housed the Route 91 Harvest country music festival before the mass shooting on Oct. 1, 2017.
"We know that for many, the Village property will forever be linked to the tragic loss of life that took place there," the company said in a statement. "We will never forget the victims, and all of those impacted by that evening."
The center will serve as a home to sporting events and community gatherings, according to MGM, which said the conception of the space was born from a commitment to "being part of the community effort to continue healing and moving forward."
The company intends for the space to host events like high school basketball tournaments and indoor soccer for children.
"It was important to us that the long-term use of the property include the community in some way," the statement said.
The company also plans to create a space on the property to honor victims of the shooting.
While the plans are underway, according to MGM, the site will serve as a parking area during games and concerts at Allegiant Stadium, the home of the NFL's Raiders beginning in 2020.
