Final Riviera casino tower due for implosion on Las Vegas St

Landmark is coming down.

The historic rivieria hotel and casino is completing its second and final implosion.... making way for the new convention center expansion... katie boer has been tracking the prep work as neighbors are preparing for the monte carlo tower to come down early tomorrow morning.

((katie boer)) christianne -- much like when the monaco tower imploded this past june... local businesses and residents -- like here at the somerset apartments -- are being told to either leave the property..

Or remain indoors between 2 and 2:30 tomorrow morning when the implosion is set to occur.

Rafael lebron and his dog jasmine just moved to las vegas from chicago three weeks ago.... he moved into the somerset apartments which lies in the shadow of the now skeleton structure that remains from the once historic riviera hotel and casino.

((rafael: 18:27 i'll keep the ac shut off :29 and ill keep my windows closed just to keep the dust out :32 the dust problem is bad enough as it is already :35 so i can imagine it'll be tenfold :37 )) rafael wasn't living in las vegas for the implosion of the monaco tower this past june -- but executive chef nicolas orth from the peppermill was... ((nicholas: 00:05:34 i think this one might be a little bit more low key.

There's going to be a lot of security outside.

:40)) in fact the iconic restaurant had a front row seat... and today they are preparing for round two.

((nicholas: metro is supposed to be posted out front :41 we're going to have everything covered..

The roof covered...the whole building covered.

:45)) this tower however stands a little closer then the last.... ((nicholas: 06:27 there's going to be about six semi trucks out front :30 just blocking all the debris or rubble that's going to come out our way :33 )) so dining patrons like manny pereira will be allowed inside-- but won't have dinner with a view.

Pereira -- who's in town for an american pool players association tournment from new jersey -- has stayed at the riv a handful of times... (( manny: 09:35 we come to vegas for this tournament every year and it's always been at the riv :38 first year at the westgate for us...but the riv was a great place :41 a great host and a great hotel :43)) and even though he hasn't witnessed any previous property implosions...he'll be watching tonight.

((manny: 10:17 im an old guy i hate seeing old things blown up -- but each dog has a day :22 and the day of the riv is gone :24 )) ((katie boer)) back live... there is no formal planned event or fireworks for this implosion -- but the public is still allowed to watch the tower come down.

You can view the implosion from any publicly- accessible site that's outside the designated safety zone around the building... or you can watch it right here on 8 news now or on the web, las vegas now dot com..

We'll air the implosion live!

Reporting off convention center drive... i'm katie boer, back to you.

/// ((dave courvoisier)) >>> some of you shared your memories of the hotel-casino on our 8 newsnow facebook page.

Richard said: the riviera was the place were we stayed for are honeymoon 18 years ago.

It was cool, those were still the cool days of las vegas, and i remember seeing it for the frist time back in 1980 when i was 19 year old.

And kathy said: sad sad sad.

Another old famous strip hotel.

((christianne klein)) >>> saving on back to