Goodman stands firm on arena

Erin Neff

Friday, July 2, 1999 | 11:15 a.m.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman vowed Thursday not to let the wave of enthusiasm for a sports arena downtown wane amid worries about costs.

Goodman and Clark County Commission Chairman Bruce Woodbury will co-chair an ad hoc committee of private sector and government interests set to meet next Thursday.

"We feel very optimistic," Goodman said during his weekly press conference Thursday. "When you have people like the Wynns behind a project and government entities willing to get involved, you can't lose."

The results of a poll commissioned by Mirage Resorts indicate overwhelming support for a sports arena and performing arts center.

Of the 580 local residents surveyed in the Luntz Research Cos. poll, 45 percent felt strongly that tax dollars should not be used to build an arena that will just make a sports team owner richer.

A majority of respondents did, however, favor paying for an arena with increases in room, slot, airport or taxi taxes.

The LVCVA has commissioned two studies that will play a role in shaping how such an arena is financed and where it is built.

LVCVA President Manny Cortez said one study will ask tourists their views of an arena and another study will determine what types of shows or activities people favor to fill the arena on days when sports aren't being played there.

The results of both studies should be available in about 30 days, Cortez said.

"It's important that we have a good idea of what would fill the arena on those other days," Cortez said.

Wynn stressed to a group of gaming executives gathered Wednesday at the Bellagio for a presentation on the poll results that he did not want any one gaming interest to view a sports arena as competition.

Snyder agreed, adding, "This is something we really do need."

The ad hoc committee chaired by Goodman and Woodbury was formed following Wednesday's presentation by nationally recognized political consultant Frank Luntz.

The committee will include Mirage Resorts Inc. Chairman Steve Wynn and his wife, Elaine Wynn; Boyd Gaming Corp. President Don Snyder; former Las Vegas Mayor Jan Laverty Jones; City Centre Development Corp. President Mike Forche; Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President Manny Cortez and Dr. Keith Bowman.

Also serving on the committee are: Bob Forbus, Chamber of Commerce president; Mark Paris, Fremont Street Experience president; Van Heffner, president of the Nevada Hotel & Motel Association; developer Joe Brown; Polo Towers president Steve Coobeck; Andy Tompkins, chief executive officer of Lady Luck Gaming Corp., and Bob Halloran, director of sports for Mirage Resorts.

Goodman said he would check into whether the committee's meetings will be open to the public. He said he has no objections to opening the meetings, even though the state Open Meetings Law would not require them to be open.