Editorial: Idea for new arena sure isn’t promising

Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2001 | 8:59 a.m.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman says that as soon as this week the city may have a deal with developers Bill Lightbody of San Diego and Larry Leasure of Idaho to build a 9,500-seat arena in the downtown area on 2.5 acres at the corner of Main Street and Stewart Avenue. The mayor's hope is to attract, possibly, a minor-league hockey team and to provide a place for the Harlem Globetrotters to play occasionally.

This is a bad idea. Other than baseball, minor-league sports have failed in Las Vegas, and in recent years the Triple-A baseball franchise hasn't fared well. Las Vegans have an intense interest in college and professional sports -- visit a sports book on weekends to get an idea -- but they want big-time athletics. Many new residents come from cities with major-league teams and aren't excited by minor-league sports.

Available land in the downtown area should be used for projects with a high probability of success if the moribund area is to be rejuvenated. If a new sports arena is to be built in Las Vegas it should be when the city is ready for a major-league team. And if that day comes, Las Vegas shouldn't fund an arena with taxpayer dollars: The team that wants to enter this market should bear the costs of building a new stadium.