Editorial: Ending ‘dead zone’ a bona fide expense

Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2002 | 8:56 a.m.

Private downtown Las Vegas businesses and Las Vegas city officials had a vision five years ago that today is almost complete. They saw an upscale downtown shopping and entertainment center complementing gaming's big attraction, the Fremont Street Experience. Their concept, Neonopolis@Fremont, was to be the two in the one-two entertainment combo of gaming and shopping. Just one thing now remains -- connecting the one and the two.

The Fremont Street Experience opened in December 1995 and Neonopolis opened three months ago. The city of Las Vegas has millions invested in these redevelopment projects -- $32 million alone in the Neonopolis parking garage. On Wednesday the City Council will debate one more expense -- $50,000 to create a natural flow of pedestrian traffic from underneath the Fremont Street Experience light-show canopy and across Fourth Street to Neonopolis. Lights and a stage for live entertainment are proposed to transform this intersection from a "dead zone" into a lively and natural walkway. Considering the millions of public dollars already invested, this final, finishing touch is a necessary public expense.

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