As downtown redevelopment efforts continue, an important link between projects will open next week.

The new Symphony Park Pedestrian Bridge will officially open at 10 a.m. Wednesday. A ceremony will take place at the western base of the new bridge in Symphony Park.

Members of the Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra and the Nevada Ballet Theater will be on hand for the opening ceremony.

The new bridge spans the railroad tracks to provide access for residents and visitors to walk between downtown and Symphony Park. The bridge also provides a path for those wanting to park at the City Hall garage and visit The Smith Center, the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health or the Discovery Children’s Museum.

The project cost $4.5 million, with funding coming from a $500,000 federal grant through the Federal Highway Administration, $3.6 million in Congestion Mitigation Air Quality funds, and $400,000 from the city of Las Vegas general fund.

A downtown hotel is now listed among some of the most historic places in the country.

The El Cortez Hotel and Casino was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which is the nation's official list of cultural resources worth preserving.

The hotel was constructed in 1941 and is primarily Spanish Colonial Revival style. It was remodeled in 1952, when the marquee and rooftop sign were added.

The El Cortez remains one of the oldest establishments on Fremont Street.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman and City Councilman Bob Coffin, along with the current owners and the architectural historian Peter Moruzzi, who headed up the effort to get the building on list, were all at Thursday's presentation. 

Reviewer: not much reason for Shrek to be a musical, but it provides fun nonetheless.

There’s a difference between being a cartoon and being cartoonish.

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