Editorial: Council commits a costly error

Thursday, Sept. 6, 2001 | 9:34 a.m.

It was a strange choice when the Las Vegas City Council selected Southwest Sports Group to develop 61 acres of prime land in the downtown area. After all, the city preferred that the land be used for an academic medical campus, residences and a performing arts center -- and Southwest Sports' bid hinged on building a minor-league baseball stadium on part of the land. But in the two months since Southwest Sports was chosen by the city, the developer has insisted on trying to find a way to build a ballpark -- and the City Council isn't standing in the way.

On Wednesday the City Council approved using $500,000 for a feasibility study of the 61-acre downtown redevelopment project, an assessment that would include determining if a major or minor-league baseball team could succeed in the downtown area. Including a viability review of a ballpark places the City Council on a slippery slope. Once the city starts using public funds to pay for an assessment to see if a baseball team is viable, it's not too far away before serious discussions begin about public financing for a new stadium.

You don't need to spend any money to know that a minor league baseball team would have a tough time in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas 51s triple-A baseball team is proof enough. First, attendance is low because it's not a Major League Baseball team. Second, playing baseball in our oppressive summers isn't exactly a drawing card for fans, who have to endure sitting in the heat for two-plus hours.

Let's face it, what the city and the developer would be talking about is building a stadium that would be suitable for a Major League Baseball franchise, one that would either be domed or require a retractable roof for summer play. But that takes lots of money -- and in today's world, sports team owners demand public financing, and a completed stadium, before they set foot in a new city. Those negotiations are littered with broken promises by sports team owners, who don't hesitate to jilt their suitors when another city offers a better deal. And that's assuming Major League Baseball approves a franchise in Las Vegas, where betting on baseball is legal. If this study is an effort to stick taxpayers with the tab to pay for a new ballpark, then we don't see any justifiable reason for this expense. Even for a gambling town like Las Vegas, a publicly financed s tadium without the guarantee of a major league team is a losing proposition.