Council OKs initial pact on 61 acres

Diana Sahagun

Thursday, Sept. 6, 2001 | 10:42 a.m.

The city of Las Vegas will spend the next six months working on an agreement with Southwest Sports Group to find out how the market would handle plans for an academic medical center, performing arts center and high-density residential development on 61 acres downtown.

The feasibility study is part of a lengthy agreement approved by the council Wednesday with Southwest Sports that spells out conditions to be met over the next six months before the council will allow developers to move forward with construction plans.

The city will spend $500,000 on studies, consulting fees and other costs during the next six months, Lesa Coder, business development director, said.

Part of the funds will go toward studying the feasibility of a major league or AAA sports stadium being built on the site. Southwest Sports, which specializes in building mixed-use projects with a ballfield as the centerpiece, hopes to convince the mayor that such a stadium would benefit the city.

Mayor Oscar Goodman has said he would allow a major-league stadium to be built as part of the project as long as it does not come at taxpayer expense.

In other action, the council agreed to spent up to $94,000 to analyze the economic benefits of a downtown sports arena being proposed for the corner of Stewart Avenue and Main Street, near City Hall.

The property, which is near the 61-acre site, is owned by Boyd Gaming Corp. and is currently used for parking for Main Street Station. Coder said the city has gotten interest from Idaho developer Larry Leasure, who is proposing an arena that would seat 7,000 to 10,000 people.