Wayne Newton has received word from county officials that he has been giventhe preliminary go-ahead to convert his lavish home southwest of the Las Vegas Strip into a moneymaking tourist attraction.It took four hours of debate Wednesday, amid neighbors' protests about the prospect of noisy buses, unyielding traffic and gift shops marring their affluent neighborhood of ranches and mansions.
But Clark County commissioners unanimously granted the "Mr. Las Vegas" icon and "Danke Schoen" crooner preliminary approval to develop his Casa de Shenandoah ranch for tours.
Newton still has to submit plans for county approval for what some have dubbed "Graceland West."
He envisions having visitors pay to see select parts of his 10,000-square-foot home - complete with plush white carpets, gold-trimmed doors, impressionist Renoir paintings and 17th-century European castle antiques.
