51s looking at possible Henderson stadium sites

Dan Kulin

Tuesday, July 29, 2003 | 9:17 a.m.

The president and general manager of the Las Vegas 51s minor league baseball team on Monday picked two privately owned properties in Henderson as the best potential sites for a new ballpark, but said the other five or six sites identified by city officials as possible stadium locations aren't entirely out of the running.

Don Logan, the 51s' president and general manager, would not identify the preferred sites, but said the team will probably have to move somewhere in Henderson to preserve the 51s valued affiliation with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Reiterating past comments, Logan said Monday that he thinks he must be able to show significant progress toward a new stadium by the end of September in order to keep the Dodgers from looking to move elsewhere.

Logan also said that at this time he is only looking at potential stadium sites in Henderson.

"Everything's within Henderson," he said. "We're not dealing with anyone else."

Logan and Dodgers officials have said they need a new stadium to replace 20-year-old Cashman Field, which Logan said is short on space for players and team officials and lacks fan amenities such as suites and club seats.

The team worked for more than a year to get backing for a new stadium in Las Vegas, but was unsuccessful, Logan said.

So now, Logan has turned to Henderson as the possible future home of the 51s.

Logan and Henderson City Manager Phil Speight met Monday for about an hour to discuss potential locations for a new 51s stadium.

Logan and Speight would not say exactly where the two best sites are, but they said both properties are vacant, larger than 30 acres, and one is next to the Las Vegas Beltway while the other is next to U.S. 95. They also would not say where the other possible proposed locations are except for one -- city-owned land off U.S. 95 near Sunset Road that was the proposed site of a spring training complex in the 1990s.

According to the Clark County assessor's website, there are two large vacant properties along U.S. 95, both zoned for general industrial use. Jerome and Joyce Mack own 31 acres along Stufflebeam Avenue at Gibson Road, and Henderson owns 119 acres along U.S. 95 and Galleria Road, near Russell Road and Stephanie Street.

There appear to be three vacant parcels along I-215, according to the assessor's website:

Highway access and visibility were important factors in selecting the best two potential sites, Logan said. He said he also asked that city officials look into whether any of the other locations might have better highway access in the future if, for example, off-ramps or new roads are planned for near those properties.

Logan said the discussions for a new stadium are in their preliminary stages, but added there isn't too much time to put a plan together as he thinks he has another 60 days or so to show a new stadium is likely on the way.

"The thing that's pushing the process for me is the Dodgers," Logan said. "By the end of September, we've got to have have something to show."

The Dodgers are a marquee-sports name in the West, and keeping the 51s a AAA-affiliate of the storied franchise is a top priority, Logan said.

"If there's any team you want to be affiliated with in the West it's the Dodgers," he said.

Logan said a location and deal for a new stadium probably don't have to be finalized by the end of September, but he said the possible locations would likely have to be narrowed to one or two sites.

Last week, Logan said he thought he would have to show Dodgers' officials a deal for a new stadium is "imminent."

Logan said funding for a new stadium would take a public-private partnership, but added it is still too early to say exactly what that would look like or where any public funds would come from.

He also said that a new stadium would only work financially if it were part of a larger development that included restaurants, bars and shopping.

Henderson officials have said they would be excited to land a professional sports team, but some said it is unlikely the city would help pay for a new ballpark.

Mayor Jim Gibson has said that while he doubts the city would be able to help pay for a new stadium, tax breaks could be available for the project.