The property was originally proposed as the Paradise hotel-casino in 1996, by Bob Mendenhall, president of Las Vegas Paving Corporation.

For this reason, the North Las Vegas City Council rejected Mendenhall's request in 1998 to rezone the land for the Paradise project.

[9] Early plans to include go-karts, a bowling alley, and a movie theater were scrapped, as Millennium believed that such features would attract children to the property.

[2] The Cannery was initially set for a mid-December 2002 opening, although this was delayed several weeks to take place in the new year.

[11] The property is themed after a 1940s cannery, post-World War II, with architectural features such as industrial beams and exposed metal columns.

Its location near Interstate 15, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and Nellis Air Force Base also made the site desirable.

[9][8] Executives sought to copy the success of other locals casinos in Las Vegas,[9] for instance by having the Cannery operate its own hotel rather than partnering with a chain, a concept that was deemed expensive and unnecessary.

[21][22][23] The project added a parking garage and more casino space,[21][24][25] for a total of 78,967 sq ft (7,336.3 m2).