New path for thrill ride considered

Diana Sahagun

Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2001 | 9:52 a.m.

Stratosphere officials are considering reconfiguring a proposed 700-foot thrill ride to appease area residents, the casino's attorney, John Moran Jr., said.

The ride was originally designed to drop passengers 700 feet from the Stratosphere tower. The enclosed ride would continue across the Strip, and climb a 416-foot steel truss fronting Paradise Road. But the project was sidetracked after residents and Las Vegas City Council members on Nov. 8 overwhelmingly opposed the plans. Consequently, the Stratosphere withdrew its application.

Moran said Monday that the Stratosphere is working with the ride's engineers to determine the feasibility of running the thrill ride down the tower and north along Las Vegas Boulevard toward Main Street, without crossing the Strip.

Moran said he expects a new application -- or the same application presented to the council in November -- to go back before the council by early January.

"We would probably be coming back, either with a new application that has changes, or the same application which we felt should have gone forward," he said.

Moran said he has presented traffic studies to residents and council members that show no additional traffic or noise generated by the ride. The ride will also create nearly 800 jobs and increase city revenues by $1.5 million per year, he added.

"It's hard for us to make some significant changes in the ride when we can demonstrate to the council and community that, No. 1, the ride does not create noise. And the second thing is that there isn't any traffic generated that would impact the neighborhoods," Moran said.

Councilman Gary Reese has said he would side with neighbors opposed to the project. He also told Moran not to bring the application back to the council if it was anything like the original version.

Resident Ben Contine, who has led a group of homeowners near the Stratosphere who are opposed to the ride, said the residents have tentatively scheduled a meeting with casino representatives this week. But the residents have not been approached about any new plans, he said.

Contine said while the Stratosphere has tried to portray the neighbors as impeding progress, the residents have agreed to meet with casino representatives and are willing to listen to their proposal.

Although residents insist that noise and traffic will be an issue -- regardless of studies showing otherwise -- Contine said the biggest factor is preserving a historic neighborhood in the downtown area.

Contine said the residents will accept a project that works for the Stratosphere but does not impact the surrounding neighborhood.

"They want to paint us as these obstructionists that will say no to everything," he said. "That's not the case."