Editorial: From fun and games to wing tips and suits

Friday, June 27, 2003 | 5:39 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION

June 28-29, 2003

The city of Las Vegas was sold on a concept before it spent $32 million on land and an underground parking garage for downtown's Neonopolis, at Las Vegas Boulevard and Fremont Street. The vision was that of a splendid retail and entertainment complex that would extend the reach of the Fremont Street Experience, injecting new life into downtown by attracting tourists and locals alike.

It would be a huge step toward making downtown complete, combining the old-time gaming with hot new restaurants and nightclubs, chic new stores, glittering arcades and first-run movies. The city believed in the vision enough to invest the money and make room for Neonopolis, which opened in May 2002, by overseeing the demolition of many souvenir shops and lunch counters, places that had defined downtown for generations.

Fast forward to June 2003 and the news reports of the latest attraction at Neonopolis: office space.

On this issue we are aligned with Mayor Oscar Goodman, who is so concerned about this departure from what the city originally bought into that he is investigating possible legal action. The amount of office space leased so far represents only 5 percent of the 240,000 square feet at Neonopolis, but it's a toehold. If it grows, taxpayers could be out a lot of money. The city was hoping to recoup its investment within 20 years, largely through fees charged at the parking garage. Office workers, who generally park at discounted monthly rates rather than by the hour, are not the clients originally envisioned for the garage. We feel the city has the right to say no to any more office space.