Monday, April 13, 1998 | 10:13 a.m.
A Clark County review board is scheduled Tuesday to study three proposals for developing and managing a public golf course and recreation facility on 155 acres of county and federal land south of McCarran International Airport.
The board is expected to select one of the proposals and pass its recommendation on to the County Commission, which could get to vote on it as early as May 5, Assistant General Services Director Don Thompson said.
"It can't be sooner than that because we're past the deadline for the April 21 meeting," Thompson said.
The companies vying for the project are a consortium headed by Rogich Communications, the Walters Group and Gary Player Golf Course Design.
Sig Rogich, president of Rogich Communications, last summer had proposed a golf course and grand prix race track for the site and won approval to negotiate a contract. But the Commission reconsidered its decision and ordered that other proponents be allowed to submit proposals, too.
Circus Circus Inc., which is building just to the north of Russell Road and has an interest in the Las Vegas Speedway, had no problem with the golf course, but objected to the race course component.
The Request for Proposals that went out Feb. 5 called for an 18-hole golf course and country club with a "compatible recreation component" that doesn't interfere with the public course operations.
The course also is intended to be the home of the UNLV golf team and must be turned over to the county for $1 at the end of its 50-year lease.
Rogich Communications has teamed up with U.S. Grand Prix of Las Vegas and O.B. Sports to build an 18-hole championship golf course and a 2 1/2-mile Formula One Grand Prix race course on the site. O.B. Sports developed and manages the Legacy and Angel Park courses locally, and three courses in Mesquite.
US Grand Prix has been trying since 1995 to bring Formula One racing to Las Vegas, and was hoping the county would give an answer soon because Formula One racing czar Bernie Ecclestone also is looking at San Francisco and Atlanta as potential cities to host the race.
Thompson said the recommendation won't go before the board until May 5 or 19.
Ecclestone was in town last week to tour the 155-acre site that runs from Russell Road between Las Vegas Boulevard and Interstate 15 south to Post Road. The northern section is Bureau of Land Management land leased to the county under a recreation and public purpose agreement, while the county controls the southern portion.
The Walters Group's proposal for the Las Vegas Gateway Golf Course is a 27-hole Pete Dye facility that includes a 7,000-yard championship course and a 9-hole par 3 short course.
The Walters Group designed and built the Desert Pines and Stallion Mountain courses for the city of Las Vegas and has recently begun negotiations with the county to build and operate a $14 million golf course at Desert Breeze park.
No information was available for the Gary Player proposal.
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