Letter: Champ Car race would benefit downtown

Friday, July 28, 2006 | 7:47 a.m.

In his July 26 letter to the Las Vegas Sun, Virgil Sestini said that spending $500,000 of taxpayer money on a Champ Car World Series event downtown is nothing short of foolish and wasteful. This could not be further from the truth.

The $500,000 is going toward improving the condition of the roadways on which and around which the event will take place. In addition, the CCWS has agreed to pay for any additional improvement costs.

The event is also beneficial economically, as it is projected to infuse city coffers with $3.8 million in tax revenue. It should also be noted that before the deal was approved by city leaders, a proposal by the CCWS submitted to the City Council called for spending upwards of $9 million in improvements. This proposal was defeated. I see this not as an irresponsible deal by city leaders, but rather a sound investment that will no doubt provide a boost to the struggling downtown area.

And whilst I would love to see those improvements made that Mr. Sestini referred to, it has been the nature of the city to disappoint and look downright stupid fiscally and civically, especially in the downtown area. Hopefully, with the addition of a Champ Car race, Neonopolis and the Fremont Street Experience will fall back into the past; not only distant, but forgotten.

James Brooks, Las Vegas