It's official: Norman Foster-designed Harmon hotel and casino to be razed due to structural issues

The long and controversial tale of the Harmon hotel and casino is over: MGM Resorts International has received permission to demolish the tower, Dezeen reports.

The court ruling comes in the midst of the debate between owner MGM and developer Tutor Perini, which has been waged over who is at fault for the building's failure.

Construction of the resort was halted after experts discovered faulty steel beams in the structure. They determined that the beams would not stand up to an earthquake.

Elizabeth Gonzalez, a Clark County District judge, has ordered lawyers on either side to collect outstanding evidence, in effect paving the way for demolition. The demolition will involve the complex being taken apart floor by floor, at a cost of $11.5 million.

Foster + Partners designed the Harmon, which broke ground in 2006. The structural issues were discovered two years into construction.

Some history on the project via Wikipedia:

In late 2008, work on the Harmon Hotel/Condo Tower was stopped after inspectors discovered construction defects: county inspectors discovered improper installation by Pacific Coast Steel, of critical steel reinforcements (rebar) after 15 stories of the building had already been erected.

The error caused a major change in the building's design; instead of being 49 stories, it was reduced to 28 stories with the condominium element, The Harmon Residences removed entirely. At the time, 88 of the 207 condominiums were reserved by buyers who had put 20 percent down. Those buyers were offered refunds or the option to buy in other buildings.

New York City’s recently revealed Green Economy Action Plan includes the goals of the decarbonization of buildings and developing a renewable energy system. The ambitious plan includes enabling low-carbon alternatives in the transportation sector and boosting green industries, aiming to create more than 12,000 green economy apprenticeships by 2040.