Neonopolis has fourth kickoff

Erin Neff

Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2000 | 11:07 a.m.

The name implies a bright beginning, but developers of the Neonopolis project remained shaded in the past Tuesday during the fourth kickoff ceremony at the downtown Las Vegas site.

Petula Clark's 1964 hit "Downtown" and its imagery of "movie shows" and a "gentle bossa nova" played on a perpetual loop as officials held a ceremony to sign a steel I-beam.

Any expectation that the $100 million project has progressed into the future was nipped in the bud immediately when leasing agent Chardell Steves told the crowd shivering in the wind that she would not be announcing any tenants.

Instead the ceremony on top of the city-financed $32 million parking garage at Fourth and Fremont streets, was meant in part, to quiet critics, and secondarily to keep the name in the news.

"We'll have something great here, hopefully in a few short months," said Mark Paris, president and chief executive of the Fremont Street Experience.

Before he could get the words "in a few short months" out of his mouth the wind whipped several ceremonial plastic hard hats toward him and toppled a poster of Elvis hyping the project.

"Is that an omen?" Mayor Goodman asked from the crowd, trying to cover his laughter.

Neonopolis was supposed to open last month, but developers now target Feb. 21, 2002, as its opening date. Still, without any signed tenants, many in the crowd were waiting for an announcement.

"There's a rumor that National Airlines is interested," Goodman said to the crowd, referring to Las Vegas' bankrupt airline.

Joyce Storm, a leasing agent with JSS Advisors in New York, countered by giving Goodman white overalls that she said he could wear when supervising construction.

Goodman again pledged both his and the city's support for the entertainment retail center even as he justified his past vitriol as coming from the mouth of a city frustrated by the delays in development.

"We wouldn't be here today unless the girders really mean something," he said beneath the backdrop of a dozen steel beams bolted into place last week.

Steves said the ceremony marked the start of construction of the planned 240,000-square-foot center, adding, "Finally, I think."

When she introduced Storm to the crowd, Steves added: "Joyce has been very instrumental in brining us where we are today, the signing of the I-beam."

Roger Pratt, senior portfolio manager for Prudential, said each project in which his company invests has experienced setbacks along the way.

"Why are we still hanging in there with this deal?" Pratt asked. "It certainly is challenging."