Downtown minor league stadium idea revived

Diana Sahagun

Friday, Jan. 4, 2002 | 9:39 a.m.

Ending three months of silence on the topic, Southwest Sports Group officials are reviving the idea of building a minor-league baseball stadium on 61 acres of barren real estate downtown.

Southwest Sports representatives broached the subject during a nearly two-hour meeting with Mayor Oscar Goodman early Thursday morning. It was the first time the minor-league stadium concept has arisen since September, when Southwest Sports began negotiating with the city for development of the parcel, west of downtown between Interstate 15 and U.S. 95.

Goodman was meeting with Southwest reps Thursday to ensure they were moving toward finalizing the development agreement when the topic of minor-league baseball popped up. The final development agreement, which would define what can be built on the property and when, is due back before the council in April.

"They are convinced beyond any doubt that a minor-league stadium will absolutely revitalize downtown and create a synergy and magnet," Goodman said. "They are true believers that it will be the best thing in the world for downtown Las Vegas."

In July, when Southwest Sports was chosen as the master developer, representatives lobbied Goodman to support a minor-stadium to house the Las Vegas 51s, a Triple-A baseball team affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But the subject was put aside in August, when the group entered into into negotiations with the city.

Goodman, as he has in the past, reiterated that Las Vegas is a major-league town. Southwest reps, though, told Goodman that Las Vegas cannot sustain a major-league team. And they should know -- Southwest Sports Group specializes in building mixed-use developments, with a minor-league stadium as a centerpiece in a Dallas project.

"They said my dream of a major-league baseball team coming here is a pipe dream ... they don't don't see any mayor-league baseball coming here for years and years," Goodman said. "They were adamant in saying that major-league baseball will not come here."

Goodman has backed down from earlier statements that he would not allow a minor league stadium to be built on the property. He continues to insist, though, that a minor-league stadium would not be built with taxpayer money, but said if a developer wanted to built a stadium with its own funds, he couldn't stop the project.

"I will not spend taxpayer money on a minor-league stadium, but if someone wants to take their own money and put it up, they can do whatever they want to do," Goodman said.

The council last summer determined that the 61-acre parcel must include an academic medical center, performing arts center, high-density residential and office space.

Goodman said he did not delve into specific financing options with Southwest officials, but was told the company had "creative ways" of financing a minor-league stadium.

"They want a minor-league stadium in the worst way," he said. "I'm not anxious to have a minor-league stadium here, that's not my dream."