Columnist Jon Ralston: Despite lingering optimism, land plan back at square one

Sunday, Oct. 9, 2005 | 10:51 a.m.

Jon Ralston hosts the news discussion program "Face to Face With Jon Ralston" on Las Vegas ONE and also publishes the daily e-mail newsletter "RalstonFlash.com." His column for the Las Vegas Sun appears Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Ralston can be reached at 870-7997 or through e-mail at ralston@ vegas.com.

"In my opinion, it's the best piece of urban real estate in the world. It's the heart of the city, and it gives us the opportunity to realize dreams and concentrate our vision on making it a very special project." -- Mayor Oscar Goodman on the 61 acres, June 6, 2000 (Las Vegas Sun)

Five years later the dream remains unrealized and the latest master developer contender has been cut loose, with the only sure development an Alzheimer's clinic and the mayor hoping everyone forgets what has happened in the interim. A brief history:

The mayor's vision has ricocheted from a major-league stadium to an academic medical center as the city has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on flirtations with potential master developers, including one that clearly wanted to build a minor league stadium that Goodman never desired.

After negotiations with Southwest Sports Group ended in 2003, Goodman wrested the downtown redevelopment efforts from his own expert, Lesa Coder, a tough and knowledgeable leader who left for the county soon after being undermined by the mayor.

Meanwhile, the land has astronomically appreciated in value -- Goodman's fantastic assertion last week was that it could soon be worth $10 million an acre. Thanks to the force of the mayor's charismatic personality, acting in concert with endemic economic factors, downtown has become a magnet for developers, who have reveled in the city's roundheels (no tax break is too great!) approach to lying down for business. Even His Honor's family serendipitously has felt the pull.

His son, Ross Goodman, and legal protege, Louis Palazzo, have developed an interest in building on downtown land. They continue to try to wrest a piece from a stubborn octogenarian and are trying to sell a nearby parcel.

And the mayor's daughter-in-law, once involved as his chief of staff on a committee to decide how to develop a city parcel near The Family Plot, has left the government and tried to latch onto positions with prospective downtown developers, including Related Cos., which broke off negotiations with the city last week.

How fitting it seemed that if anyone related to Goodman could benefit from his tenure that a company named Related would become the master developer for the jewel of the desert. Related had been instrumental in high-rise developments in New York City and Miami and it is involved here in projects near the Strip, including ICON.

"It's so awesome I can't believe it," Goodman gushed when the exclusive negotiating contract with Related was ratified in January. "Major League Baseball will come to Las Vegas ... the performing arts center will be funded. ... This is a big, big day."

This seemed a perfect match because the Related folks seemed to match Goodman in ego and hyperbole. As recently as last week, when I asked him if there were any problems, Goodman retorted, "No problems. Zero problems."

Despite the city's ludicrous spin last week that the negotiations ended amicably, Related clearly walked away because its executives understand what Goodman does not: Downtown is what it is, but it also isn't what it isn't.

It isn't the Strip and it's obvious not enough locals would be able to afford units on the 61 acres considering what it will cost to build them.

So now back to square one, back where the city was five years ago when the mayoral gushing began. Back then, Goodman recalled, he was told "if I were looking for a legacy, the mere acquisition of that land would be enough."

That seems almost like surrender now. But, of course, Goodman remains bullish on downtown and scoffs at any notion this is a setback.

So you can still call the mayor if you want to hear optimism about downtown redevelopment. Or, if you prefer, try his son or daughter-in-law.