Boyd to buy land for controversial casino

Saturday, Feb. 12, 2000 | 3:26 a.m.

The proposed hotel-casino, which would be part of a 110-acre retail and entertainment complex near a southwest Las Vegas neighborhood, has been the target of activists and a trio of competing gambling companies since late January. That's when Clark County commissioners approved a zoning change needed to build the 300-room property.

Opponents charge that the site would violate a 3-year-old state law restricting development of casinos within 1,500 feet of residential neighborhoods. Supporters say the property will be far enough away from homes.

"If I were the competition I would be worried about this project because it is the next generation, and the competition is clearly behind the opposition," Boyd Gaming President Don Snyder said.

The Boyd-Triple Five version of the next generation calls for a hotel-casino that, unlike competing neighborhood projects, would be in a building separate from its movie theaters, restaurants, offices and retail shops. Families with young children would not have to walk past slot machines and table games to access the nongambling offerings.

No theme or plans have been decided, but Snyder spoke of Santa Monica, Calif.'s Third Street Promenade, a European-style outdoor setting that offers shopping, dining and entertainment, as a prototype for the $1 billion-plus, 110-acre development.

"The concept of being incorporated into this urban retail center is really the main point," he said. "The thing we can say is this will be different than anything you see in the market right now."

Boyd Gaming owns and operates Main Street Station, the California and Fremont in downtown Las Vegas, Sam's Town on Boulder Highway, and Stardust on the Strip. With 11 casinos in five states, the company also is developing an Atlantic City megaresort with Mirage Resorts.

Snyder declined to say how much his company agreed to pay for the Spring Valley site, noting that Triple Five is a privately held company, but a source familiar with the transaction said the sales price ranges from $20 million to $30 million. The deal is expected to close within the next few weeks.