Full Sized Enterprise Almost Built in Vegas

If not for the cowardice and pure cover his rear move of then Paramount CEO Stanley Jaffe, Star Trek fans might have had a full scale replica of the USS Enterprise to visit in Las Vegas. Back in 1992, downtown Las Vegas was trying to revitalize its tourism that was lost to the main strip that had emerged (and remains) the new heart of Vegas with their huge high concept casinos like the MGM, Mirage, and so forth. Two concepts made it to the finalist’s stage - The Fremont Experience and The Star Ship Enterprise.

The Starship Enterprise was pitched by Gary Goddard as a destination attraction, provide international press (good for tourism), and create an "8th Wonder of the World" due to its size. If built, if you tipped the Enterprise on its nacelles, it would have been just a few stories short of the Empire State Building The cost to build was $150 million in 1992 (estimated $250M today).

Concepts were designed, Las Vegas management, Mayor approved it. Most of Paramount's leadership was on board. When it was pitched to the final needed vote on the project, Stanley Jaffe, he said no. The reason? "I don’t want to be the guy that approved this and then it’s a flop and sitting out there in Vegas forever." This, in a nutshell, is why Hollywood produces sequels and the same concepts over and over. A business that must thrive by gambling on the new is often held hostage by those that fear the unknown and new.

The blog post on this from The Goddard Group is worth a read, if only to view their concept art. Click here to get the details on what would have been historic project if not for the fear of one coward. (via i09)