The massive excavation of the underground parking garage for the Strip's Cosmopolitan Hotel-Casino has been completed, and was celebrated with a "bottoming-out" party. The parking space descends 85 feet below the surface, with another eight-foot layer of concrete and 3,000 concrete-filled pipes that anchor the garage another 100 feet deep. Cosmo is on schedule to open in December 2009. On the other side of the Strip, after 19 months of construction, George Maloof's 47-story Palms Condo-Hotel and Spa has "topped out," with construction workers pouring the last of the 295 million pounds of concrete last week. The project continues on schedule for occupancy in early 2008.

GREEN BUSES: Ford Motor Co. will soon deliver two ultra-clean hydrogen-fueled buses to the Las Vegas fleet. With the delivery, Las Vegas will become the first city in the western U.S. to receive these environmentally friendly vehicles, a move made possible by a federal grant. They'll be assigned to express routes to and from the city's premium locations.

PLAY FOR BUFFET: If you like to gamble for low stakes, you can get fed for your play at any Station Casino. Earn 200 players club points on a Boarding Pass card and get a free breakfast buffet, earn 400 points for lunch, and 600 points for dinner. The 200-point level equates with playing a quarter machine for 30 minutes. The deal is good (except Saturdays) at Palace, Santa Fe, Texas, Sunset, Boulder, Red Rock, and Green Valley Ranch Stations, through Aug. 31.

BURGERS & SHAKES: A new outdoor-dining restaurant called Stripburger has opened on the corner of the Strip and Spring Mountain Road. Nothing on the menu is more than $10.

For information about Las Vegas shows, buffets, coupons and deals, see www.LasVegasAdvisor.com.