William E. Boyajian, the former president of the Gemological Institute of America, has become managing director of the World Jewelry Center, an ambitious attempt to build a retail and wholesale jewelry mecca near downtown Las Vegas.
The proposed 1 million–square–foot center, scheduled to open in 2009/10, will include both a three-floor retail center and 50-story office building designed to house jewelry wholesalers plus a few floors of luxury condos.
The 50-story building will be the tallest office building in Las Vegas, Boyajian said, and one of the tallest buildings in the Western United States. Boyajian said he hopes to attract all kinds of jewelry wholesalers, as well as shipping services and other supporting businesses to form a “one-stop shop.”
“We are not moving New York to Las Vegas,” he told JCK. “We are not competing with other centers. We hope to create a n