City Council exercises caution on 61 acres

Diana Sahagun

Friday, June 29, 2001 | 10:44 a.m.

The excitement over what projects should be chosen to fill 61 acres downtown came to a halt this week when the Las Vegas City Council decided to postpone its decision.

This is a reversal from last month, when council members cheered the four proposals, which included an academic medical center, performing arts center, film studio, sports arena and residential space.

The purpose of Monday's special meeting was to choose a project and master developer. Council members, however, chose to wait.

The meeting began in a jovial manner, with Mayor Oscar Goodman taking on the role of dealer; the mayor asked the four developers to pick from a deck of cards to determine the first presenter. But the mood became serious, as four hours of intense presentations dragged on.

In the end, City Councilman Lawrence Weekly said that, because the project was proposed for his ward, he was overwhelmed by the pressure to decide. It was a decision that he and other council members say they weren't ready to make.

After working two years to acquire the 61 acres from Lehman Brothers, cleaning up the property and soliciting proposals, it's hard to argue the fact council members had little time to absorb what was presented Monday.

Although Weekly and Goodman said they liked the proposals, they also have opened the door to the possibility that the city could start from scratch if council members aren't satisfied with the proposals.

Weekly on Wednesday told the Sun he liked all four proposals. Still, he said he "wasn't 100 percent sold on one particular project."

"I had some (hesitation), and I think the council as a whole needs to make sure before we sign on a dotted line that we're getting the best possible project we can get," Weekly said. "If the final answer is, this is the best we can get, then I'm ready to roll."

Weekly said because of media coverage that has focused on the potential of the downtown property, other developers have come forward to inquire about the land and to ask whether they could submit ideas.

Although other developers are apparently interested, even after they missed the May 31 deadline to submit proposals, Weekly said he expects a decision on the four proposals during the council's next meeting, which is Thursday.

Recognizing that the decision would impact his constituents in Ward 5, Weekly said he is looking to the mayor for advice on what projects and master developer to choose. Goodman spearheaded efforts to acquire the land and has talked up its potential to media outlets throughout the country.

Weekly said he will meet with the mayor this week.

"His decision means a lot to me," Weekly said. "That's not to say whatever he says is my final decision, but I respect the vision he has for this project."

Goodman said he spoke about the possibility of opening the field to new developers when he realized how paramount a decision would be for residents of the city. Goodman on Thursday said it wasn't until after the presentations that he thought about the serious ramifications of the decision.

Although Goodman said the proposals weren't lacking any one element, he said presenters weren't breathing "fire and brimstone."

The mayor, like Weekly, said he has also received calls from other interested developers who did not submit their qualifications or proposals before the deadline. He said that would not influence whatever decision the council makes next week.

Though council members were impressed with the proposals Monday, they also honed in on the developers' limitations, asking questions about experience and financing.

Held Properties, Inc. has built several academic medical centers across the United States, but only on an average of 17 acres. The developers propose an entire medical campus, including housing, on the 61 acres.

Southwest Sports Group proposes to build a 12,000-seat sports arena to house the Las Vegas 51s, but company representatives said they weren't willing to build it unless the city provided funding. Goodman has promised that would not happen.

And the developers behind the third proposal, Millennium City, Inc., don't want to become the master developer. Rather, the company wants to assist whomever is chosen.

Only the Las Vegas Studio Development, Inc. isn't asking for city money, although the company has not provided details in regard to financing.

City Councilman Michael Mack also said he wasn't ready to make a decision. He said he was disappointed the council wasn't extensively briefed on the proposals before the meeting.

Mack said Wednesday he has not yet made up his mind yet, but wishes that he could see a hybrid of all four proposals. Both the academic medical center and the sports arena piqued his interest, he said.

Lesa Coder, business development director, said she wasn't surprised that the council opted not to make a final selection. In fact, the council's hesitance didn't surprise the four developers, she said.

"I was hopeful they would act, but I also understand from having done other large projects that it's unreasonable to expect that kind of quick absorption of a lot of information," Coder said. "I'm glad if they weren't quite comfortable that they did hold the item. The developers are ready to come back and they understand what a monumental decision this is."