LAS VEGAS -- The Fontainebleau insists it will not cease construction, even though its lenders have pulled out.

Now the casino-resort is suing several banks for $3 billion, more than enough to finish the job.

Fontainebleau said just because times are tough doesn't mean lenders can simply walk away from a contract.

“The outcome we’re looking at right now is staying on schedule and opening this property,” said Lance Ignon, of Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

Fontainebleau has come way too far to hang up the hard hats now, even though 11 lenders backed out of their $800 million contract.

“We believe the banks have come with an excuse that has no merit to term this loan so they can walk away from this project,” Ignon said.

That's why Fontainebleau filed a $3 billion lawsuit against lenders, including Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Deusche and several other bailout banks.

“We think it’s a very sad commentary that these lenders received tens of billions of dollars of taxpayer money specifically for the purpose of funding worthy projects to revive our economy. To walk away from that commitment is a real slap in the face to the taxpayers and the workers of this job,” Ignon said.

There are still thousands of workers preparing for a fall opening, and Fontainebleau insists this will not go the way of the Echlon, which has been at a standstill for more than six months.

"It’s abundantly clear that the last thing that Las Vegas, and particularly the Las Vegas Strip, needs is an abandoned building,” Ignon said.

Gaming expert Bill Thompson said it certainly won’t come to that, but the Fontainebleau's fate is unclear.

He said he still believes the Echelon, CityCenter and Fontainebleau will have their heyday, and hopefully soon.

“It’s just a waiting game. Two-thousand-nine is not the year, and 2010 – let’s cross our fingers,” Thompson said.

The company filed the suit because it wants to resolve this problem as soon as possible, so the project can move ahead.

But Fontainebleau is looking at other sources of funding in case this lawsuit doesn't work out in its favor.

Right now, 3,300 construction workers are employed on-site. The resort will hire another 1,700 to work on the final stages of the project.

It expects to employ more than 6,000 full-time employees once the project is finished.