During the depths of the pandemic, Las Vegas’ blindingly bustling main boulevard jerked to a grinding halt that highlighted the unconventional traits of the world’s biggest entertainment mecca — like how the grand doors to Sin City’s extravagant resorts are never closed nor unstaffed.
“They had to board up billion-dollar facilities with plywood because the doors don’t even have locks,” recalls Vegas host, philanthropist and actor Mark Shunock. “We take for granted how you can walk into a building on The Strip any time of day, seven days a week, and somebody’s there to greet you with a smile and ask, ‘What can I get you?’ But when was the last time somebody walked in and asked a server, ‘Are you OK? What can I get you?’
“Forty million people visit Las Vegas every year to forget their problems, but in a city designed for visitors, locals don’t always get the attention they deserve.”
Shunock’s set to change that by spearheading The Space 2.0, a $50 million, five-story, 80,000-square-foot community center half a block from The Cosmopolitan. Thanks to land granted by Clark County, the precinct will empower the entertainment professionals, hospitality workers and first responders serving the tourist town, plus inspire and educate future stars of The Strip.
The building will also house the first Vegas outpost for the Entertainment Community Fund, chaired by Annette Bening, who will visit the site to help launch the project’s fundraising campaign on Monday. More than $2 million has already been raised thanks to donors including UFC.
Comedian and actor Brad Garrett, who owns and performs at an MGM Grand comedy club, and Nick Carter, who’s preparing for the Backstreet Boys’ newly announced Sphere residency Into the Millennium, are also getting behind the project. Carter notes how pivotal such a place could have been during his youth.
“Growing up in the music industry before there were services like this, or even the internet, we had to fend for ourselves,” says Carter. “When you’re 13 years old, like I was when I started, you don’t know what to do to get help and guidance, so a place like The Space 2.0 would’ve been a huge game-changer. With our experience, we can hopefully help those entertainers who don’t have a place to turn.”
The idea stemmed from the pandemic, during which Shunock adapted his weekly live charitable event Mondays Dark, which raises funds for local organizations, into a Facebook Live telethon featuring Shania Twain and Joey Fatone. He asked ECF (previously called The Actors Fund) to help distribute the $122,000 raised.
As locals heard about ECF through the event, they applied for the fund’s emergency assistance grants, resulting in $1.2 million being distributed to those in need. It soon became apparent that despite being an entertainment destination, Vegas lacked the support infrastructure of showbiz hubs like Los Angeles and New York.
“The overwhelming response from the community underscored the need for our services,” says Bening. “When we learned about The Space 2.0, it presented the ideal opportunity to bring the fund to one of the entertainment capitals of the world, further strengthening our commitment to supporting those who bring stories to life.”
The Space 2.0 Rendering
Courtesy of The Space 2.0
Having worked in Vegas since the ’80s, Everybody Loves Raymond star Garrett adds that Sin City’s long fallen short in adequate support infrastructure.
“Its entertainment community is like no other, but this eclectic and deserving group of performers have never received the benefits and opportunities off-stage that most entertainers receive on both coasts — be it Broadway or TV and film,” he says. “The Space 2.0 will not only provide an amazing venue, but vital services to benefit physical and mental health.”
Whether it’s a Cirque dancer transitioning into retirement, an usher facing financial strife or a new parent struggling with returning to work, the center will “serve those who serve.”
“There are thousands of carpenters, ticket-collectors, makeup artists working Vegas day in, day out,” says Shunock, who starred in The Venetian’s Rock of Ages. “Shania Twain stands center stage every night, but there’s 150-odd people who help make her show what it is.”
The center will offer educational programs, social services and financial aid and host nonprofits including Community Counseling Centers of Southern Nevada, which will provide mental health support through counseling and music therapy.
After 14 years in Vegas, Shunock says its “nonstop” nature can take a mental toll unlike any other place. “There’s something to do every night,” says Shunock, who’s also vp entertainment and in-arena host for the Vegas Golden Knights. “For workers, they often don’t have a choice but to keep going to pay their bills. Vegas trumps New York for the city that never sleeps, and the demand that takes on hospitality and entertainment sectors is unlike any place on the planet.”
With resorts on The Strip now making more from categories other than gambling, the demand on such industries has greatened. A burgeoning residency and theater scene, proposals to build film studios and an influx of California-based actors and musicians moving to Vegas is further bolstering the city’s entertainment foundations and support needs.
Among those who have made Vegas home are Mark Wahlberg, Celine Dion, Carlos Santana, Steve Aoki and Carter, who relocated for the Backstreet Boys’ 2017 Larger Than Life residency at Planet Hollywood — and never left. The father of three says it’s invaluable living somewhere that allows his career to thrive with projects like the Backstreet Boys’ Sphere residency, while also being home to help with homework.
“I’m very involved with my children’s lives,” he says. “I’ve made friends with local fathers and mothers through baseball and school, and now I get to participate in everyday things all the other parents participate in, while also working on this exciting residency. It’s great I can do both right here in Vegas. I love that I can drop my kids at school, do my show, be at baseball practice.”
As the showbiz scene continues growing, The Space 2.0 will also enhance arts education through career development initiatives, masterclasses and afterschool programs. Shunock will likely turn to his network of headliners, like Twain and Carter, to help inspire students.
“We have some of the greatest artists on the planet living in Las Vegas, so how cool would it be if students have a clown or Cirque gymnast come teach a class? We’ll also have remarkable opportunities to have our headliners in the space. A lot of them already have their own programs — Lady Gaga’s active in the mental health space, Shania has her foundation, Jewel has an amazing program. We want to build this facility then let everybody know, ‘It’s here for you.’”
Garrett’s eager to help on-site, whether it’s teaching a comedy seminar or supporting those struggling with substance addiction. “In April, I’ll be celebrating 28 years of sobriety,” he notes. “I understand the lure and demise that too often accompanies this industry as we pursue an unpredictable career in entertainment.”
Shunock ultimately hopes the facility — scheduled to break ground in 2026 and open in 2028 — will strengthen Vegas by empowering its workforce. Confident of raising the required funds, his passion stems from his own challenges and lessons as a performer, having moved to New York at 19 to pursue Broadway dreams. Working “every job imaginable” by night to keep days free for auditioning, he eventually landed on Broadway’s The Lion King and later Rock of Ages.
“Even though I was the one singing ’80s hits on stage, I was no better than the guy dealing cards or the cocktail server,” he says. “I would say hi to 30 employees, all wishing me well, on the way to each show. That’s a special community, which we need to support.”