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By Dave Toplikar (contact) 
Thursday, April 8, 2010 | 2:16 p.m.
A downtown location would be better suited for a new sports arena than any of the proposals for arenas on or near the Las Vegas Strip, Mayor Oscar Goodman said today at his press conference today at City Hall. The mayor says he prefers a location on the north side of Symphony Park, which would be more accessible to traffic and help revitalize the area.
Sun archives
- County wants arena details, says public money unlikely (4-6-2010)
- Cowboys Stadium poses Texas-sized threat to Vegas (3-21-2010)
- Jerry Jones says Cowboys, NFL will lift boxing (3-9-2010)
- Rodeo rustler? Tourism officials worry Dallas Cowboys owner could steal Vegas event (3-4-2010)
- City OKs plan to study downtown arena, entertainment district (11-4-2009)
- Cordish projects include sports-anchored developments (11-4-2009)
- Goodman: 20,000-seat downtown arena could lure NBA team (10-29-09)
- Mayor seeking arena development deal for City Hall parcel (10-28-2009)
- With arena plan dead, what next for former REI Neon site? (8-2-2009)
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman says that despite competitive efforts to bring a sports arena to the Las Vegas Strip, he's still betting on it being downtown.
"I think downtown is the perfect place," Goodman said at his weekly press conference today at city hall.
"As far as I'm concerned, the first one who's going to have a shovel in the ground is going to be able to have an NBA franchise play in that facility or an NHL franchise play in that facility," Goodman said. "That's what I want for this community."
The mayor said he wasn't worried about various private attempts to bring a new 20,000-seat arena to the Las Vegas Strip, or near it, and thinks the plans under way for a downtown arena are further along.
Goodman said the city has been talking to the Cordish Co. of Baltimore for two years about an arena downtown. The city has signed an exclusive negotiating agreement with Cordish on Nov. 4.
And now there are two spots for a possible downtown arena, he said.
"We're talking about 13 acres across the street from this city hall and we're talking about Parcel P-Q over in Symphony Park (the northern end of the park)," he said. "My preference would be P-Q."
Forest City is the developer of the Parcel P-Q site at Symphony Park, so Cordish would have to work with them, Goodman said. Forest City is under contract to develop a 1,000-room hotel-casino on that site.
Earlier this week, the Clark County Commission asked its staff to collect information and report back on May 18 about proposals to build arenas in the county.
Goodman found fault with traffic flow in and out of those three competing sites:
— A $750 million facility is proposed on the north part of the Strip on the former Wet 'n Wild property by IDM, a Texas firm. That property is owned by Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sue Lowden.
"At the Wet 'n Wild site, I don't know how people would be able to get in and out of there," Goodman said. "It's in the middle of the Strip."
— A $448 million facility, led by a group formed by former County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury, is proposed for 10 acres owned by Harrah's behind the Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino. Harrah's would donate the land.
"Behind Harrah's, as far as I'm concerned, would be gridlock like you've never seen," Goodman said.
- A $600 million facility is being proposed on Las Vegas Boulevard South on 260 acres owned by Gary Goett.
"If you want to go down to Southern Highlands, to that area, God bless you," Goodman said.
He said people from all income levels would be able to have easy access to a downtown location.
"You don't have to be necessarily rich to get there. Public transportation all comes down here," he said. "There's great parking in the downtown. It would be a great revitalizer for the downtown. We'd be able to get benefits under our redevelopment agency."
Downtown is also a neutral place, he said.
"It won't be associated with any particular casino," he said. "We won't have guns drawn to our heads saying that we're doing something that will affect the private sector to the detriment of another private sector facility."
Goodman said that his office is in regular contact with Cordish.
"They're trying to make the figures meet. They know that I'm under the gun. I'm out of here in a year. And I want to have that arena break ground while I'm still the mayor, because I've worked so hard to get a major league sports team here," Goodman said.
Goodman said he would like to have an arena over in Symphony Park because, if Cordish does it, it will include an entertainment complex and a new hotel to go along with the city's other developments there.
"We'll use the 13 acres (across from the existing City Hall) to put the 51s into a brand new baseball stadium," he said.
"And then my crocodarium will go down at Cashman (Stadium)," he said, referring to a plan being proposed by an Australian group led by the widow of Steve Irwin for a zoo-like facility featuring crocodiles at the current home of the 51s minor league baseball team.
The mayor said he didn't want to skimp on the seating for a downtown arena.
"The bigger the better," he said. "Because if we don't do it, if we're stupid, if we want to think small and ruin us, it will be a small arena and it won't be a first-class arena."
He said the community needs to "think big" to be able to compete with the state-of-the-art billion-dollar Dallas Stadium built by Jerry Jones, which some say could attract rodeo arena events now supporting Las Vegas' economy from Thanksgiving through the New Year.
"We have to keep up with these things," Goodman said. "You can't keep on saying that you're not going to have the best. Whatever I want is the best. We've got the best with the Ruvo Brain Institute. We've got the best with the Performing Arts Center ... I want the best arena too."
Goodman said architect Frank Gehry, who designed the Ruvo building, sent him the designs for the Brooklyn Arena.
"Now, it will cost a billion dollars, but maybe you have to spend a billion to make a billion," he said.
Does he really not see any potential traffic problems downtown? And it is nice to know he is so concerned about the citizens here...I want I want I want...all about him and his pride to get it done before he leaves office.
This idiot has been saying this for what? Years. At what point does Oscar realize his wolf call fall on deaf ears. Obviously they don't want to go downtown because Oscar is full of hot air. All talk, no do.
It will cause traffic problems no matter where it is hcinnv. Small price to pay for the money it will bring in.
I am all for a new stadium downtown and have been for a long time. I would love to see a major football team here. It would be wonderful for our city. Come on folks, think big. Yes, now seems like a bad time, but we will see a turnaround and then we will be proud of our city again. Now, if we can keep the scum ALL CASH INVESTORS from buying up all the decent housing and let those of us who live here do that, we might have a fighting chance. DO NOT RENT A HOME FROM AN OUT OF STATE OWNER -- SCUM and generally an investor. Let it sit there so he/she will have to sell for a loss and a family can get a home that truly deserves it NOT SOME SCUM ALL CASH OR OUT OF STATE INVESTOR.
god, oscar...PLEASE...let it go, man.
we didn't "need" one during the boom...we certainly don't "need" one during the bust.
maybe in 2012 when obama is defeated, but not now.
Give Oscar credit, he fights for his city and this idea isn't all that bad. The timing might be debated, but the concept is justified. The only serious problems would be issues dealing with sports betting on "home" teams.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY!! HERE IS WHAT THE DOWNTOWN SHOULD LOOK LIKE!!:
1. DESIGN SOME MIXED USE BUILDINGS ON A PEDESTRIAN SCALE. Try to incorporate Mediterranean, Mission, Spanish, French, Traditional, Neoclassical, and Modern Architectural Styles. Make the downtown an attractive place to live, work, shop, and play.
2. BUILD SOME EVENT CENTERS AND PLAZAS to make the downtown attractive and come to life socially and culturally. A stadium is a great progress!! Yeah!!
3. PLAN AND DESIGN OFFICE TOWERS BABY!! (mixed-use) Turn the valley into financial/corporate center!! Design business friendly places to bring tons of white collar jobs!! 100+ STORY OFFICE TOWERS HERE WE COME!!
4.PLAN AND DESIGN TONS OF NEW CONDO-HOTEL TOWERS!! Bring more tourism downtown!! This time... the hotels can be MEGA RESORTS (4000+ ROOMS) to flow with the strip's skyline!!
THERE YOU HAVE IT!! NEW EXCITING PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN!!! AND IF WE BRING TRUE FREE MARKETS, WE WILL EXPLODE LIKE CRAZY!! OH YEAH!!
I would prefer Downtown for the arena(s). There is already a lot going on at the strip.
Also, unless there are underlying reasons for necessity, I do not sense keeping the 51's here if Vegas can get an MLB franchise here, via expansion of course.
I think all these developers should alternately focus on building a second Chase Field (the ballpark in Phoenix for those unaware) in Vegas if they happen to lose out on an arena bid.
And of course it has to be in Downtown and 100% privately financed.
Oscar, If you want a downtown Arena, you must first build LIGHT RAIL PUBLIC TRASNPORTATION from south and all points in between. Get something going to fix the monorail to be viable in the equation from McCarran to downtown!! Got to be this way or an Arena sports complex in Downtown is a waste!!!
I hope he is serious this time and actually goes for it, I would love to accquire an NBA team. Basketball and more job = awesome. We need this Vegas
Let it go Mr. Mayor. Downtown has neither the infrastructure or the room for a modern sports park. Making the needed changes would triple the cost of the project.
(Goodman) "He said people from all income levels would be able to have easy access to a downtown location."
Exactly why a stadium shouldn't be built downtown. Unemployed section 8 welfare mom's aren't the ones who are going to get seats at an 18000 seat new basketball arena unless it's handout night.
Put the stadium in Southern Highlands where you don't need an armed guard to attend. Aside from that, it would be exceedingly easy to get to southern highlands from Green Valley or Summerlin, where your actual customer base would be coming from.
I'll be first in line for tickets if it's in Southern Highlands. I won't get near the stadium if they put it downtown.
definitely need to put it downtown.
the only serious issue is that a stadium will only bring MORE $8 and $9 per hour jobs that are once again...based on tourism and entertainment to las vegas.
how is that working for us right now?
not very good.
please...you aren't in 8th grade. grow up. we don't "need" a football team.
nfl games are on sunday are are EXPENSIVE to attend.
now, take away all the people that have to WORK on sunday (which is A LOT in vegas), all the people that have to sleep on sunday afternoons because they have to work graveyard (which is a lot in vegas), THEN take away all the people that ARE off on sunday, but could not afford to go (which is A LOT in vegas...even more now that obama is taking all of your money)...
...there simply isn't enough people with enough money to support a team.
Anchorbine,
Grow up. Southern Highlands would be the absolute worst possible place to put a stadium. Coming from someone who lives downtown and isn't section 8 or poor, I am insulted. Those comments really show how much you care for people and this city.
If we had any major sports team, we would need to put the stadium near hotel rooms, whether by the strip or in downtown. Sure, downtown lacks the infrastructure but this could be the thing that renovates the entire downtown area. Lets build a business district while we're at it.
Clifton, tourists don't come to vegas to see a basketball game. Having it near the hotels is meaningless, save for the few seats the whales would get for free from the vip casino hosts.
The reason virtually every major sports team would fail here is that we have very few home grown residents. Everybody here is a fan of some other team, hence attendance stinks.
The unlv rebel basketball team has been exciting and pretty damn good the past few years and attendance still sucks at the Thomas and Mack.
Face it, people would rather player video poker then attend a sporting event, which is why it's never hard to find a seat at a movie theatre either.
If you place the stadium in a decent neighborhood and build a decent product, there is a chance it might thrive. Place it downtown, nobody will go, and the elements that do attend will mirror that disaster of an NBA weekend we had.
No thanks to downtown.
Ok, Cordish company has a group of failed projects - e. g. - the project in Niagara Falls, NY - ask them about that.
And then there is ballpark village in St. Louis. Now it is grassy - for a while it was a hole in the ground on the site of old Busch stadium and was filled with dirty water from surface drainage. They also failed to develop projects in Buffalo, NY. Hey they are connected - some of their principals were at HUD in the Carter administration so now they have had plenty of gravy ever since. Get the bums outa here!!!
THE MAYOR IS A LOSER
i hate to say it, but i tell you what...
we could literally pave our streets with gold if clark county legalized prostitution.
stevem has it right. The whole Nevada economy was built on people coming here to get things that they couldn"t get at 'home'. Now that gambling is legal in almost every state, and large casinos with live entertainment is at hand for them, these people have no reason to come to Nevada. Let's make prostitution legal (regulated and taxed), marijuana legal (regulated and taxed) and have things that will draw the tourists back to spend their money here.
The mayor has lost his mind for sure.
A new city hall is needed to make room for an arena on las vegas blvd, have the city buy up all the property in the area, make the old city hall and parking area available to support the new arena.
TODAY, NEWSFLASH, THE MAYOR SAYS:
The best spot for the arena is area PQ in symphony park WHAT,WHAT
I need some more Gin!!!!!!
I guess we now know the real reason they "need" paycuts from hardworking citizens. How much money did they say the taxpayers are gonna have to fork over for this in this down economy??? Interesting the web of evil here.
A professional team needs to have a loyal, fanatical base to be profitable. Look at Boston with the Red Sox, Detroit with the Red Wings, and Los Angeles with the Lakers. Does anyone really believe that Las Vegas will have this with either an NBA or NHL franchise? There is absolutely no way that this city can support a professional team with the transient population base we have. Sure, the short term (1-5) years may be amazing. But the long term will see attendance dwindle to Florida Marlins territory for fans actually in the seats.
so the mayor of las vegas wants an arena in the city of las vegas and not in the county of clark?
is that really news?
Please please please do not bring an NBA team to this city! We already have way too many gun toting thugs as it is. Adding NBA players and its fans here would just make the problem even worse. Does anyone remember when the all-star game was here?
Las Vegas is not known for quality. We are not in the top 10 in any meaningful area. No sports franchise in its right mind would want to be based here.
Maybe the Harlem Globe Trotters could be headquartered here as an attraction. They could play in the arena when the other team is traveling, instead of traveling themselves, then the arena should be in an area to attract tourists and locals.
this city will not support a professional team period. don't be stupid u moron. i hate to agreed with stevem make prostitution legal and fill up these empty storefront
A sports franchise need a strong local fanbase to succeed. Locals residents do not like going to the Strip or Downtown. So if they want a fickle market of tourists that ebb and flow with the economy - by all means build it downtown!
Does Oscar Goodman own a bunch of real estate downtown that he wants to flip? Why does he want to revitalize downtown so bad when the entire city is suffering?
Sounds familiar, a politician pushes for sports facility he gets rich as do the 3 investors and the people get stuck with the bill!! Then i go see what i am paying for and i get charged 8 bucks for parking 5 bucks a beer 4.50 for a dog and the person handing me my food is getting 6.50 an hour. Not to mention the tickets. Thanks oscar but no thanks.
FRM & SteveM are right.
If there is a stadium build it out far, like by the race track or M Resort.
Yo Oscar: Why don't you build it next to your other great idea, the Neonopolis?? That way we can have two ghost towns we can explore within walking distance of each other...
A downtown stadium would only help Neonopolis. Environprotector is right though. For it to be successful, we need a light rail system to get to downtown. If I could park my car in Henderson and take the train to the stadium, i'd be much more likely to attend, just because of traffic issues.
Downtown makes perfect sense. Here is what I envision: Los Angeles & Orange county does not have a football team. There are roughly 9 million people in the area plus the 2 million in Las Vegas so selling tickets will not be a problem and what a great weekend getaway. Build a high speed train from Orange County & LA county to downtown. Build a stadium that seats over 100,000 people and has a retractable roof and rivals Dallas' stadium. Jerry Jones is trying desperately to take the big fights away from Las Vegas and this would take care of that and keep all that money here in Las Vegas. It will only take 90 minutes to get here from LA & OC and BAM!! Instant success. Jobs for Las Vegas and high roller weekend giveaways for the Casinos. LA and OC have been longing for a football team since the Raiders left. LA county will not build a new stadium or upgrade the Coliseum. The Maloofs would be the perfect owners since they know about owning a sports franchise. The Rodeo will stay here as well. Also, with all the international tourists and locals, a professional soccer team would do great as well. The World Cup in Las Vegas!! Perfect!! Just A Thought...
Mayor Goodman has had too much gin.
The new Arena won't be built down town
Downtown is a great idea! I hope this has some legs and he gets it done. The Strip is so freaking crowded.
For you naysayers of having sports in Vegas, go ahead and move to Dallas, where Vegas would lose most of the big-ticket events to if no new stadium is built.
- OR -
Have an arena that will be COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT of any hotel-casino establishment. And then have all the NHL, NBA, MMA, Boxing, Wrestling, Arena football, rodeo, huge concerts, etc. All in a one-stop shop.
Then the hotels can use those freed up boxing and MMA dates for more conventions, or whatever else they fancy.
The Vegas Arena can become the Madison Square Garden of the West if it is done right. And it would be better if a Baseball Stadium is built right beside it as well.
To all the people who say "I don't want to go to that neighborhood"... Born and raised in New York, I never WANTED to go to the Bronx or Queens, but that's where the Yankees and Mets play. For that matter, Madison Square Garden sits on top the biggest homeless shelter in NYC, aka Penn Station, never WANTED to go there either! Fanbase is a legit concern, neighborhood not so much.
Anyway you look at it, our city is failing. Right now, we are a one trick pony. We need to diversify our economy to be viable. In order to do that we need to make the city a more attractive place for people to move to, which means thinks like performing arts centers, top notch medical facilities, and yes, a venue for prefessional sports. We also need better public transportation. If we can get our city on track, we have the ability to have one of the best cities in the world.
50,000 seat mud wrestling arena downtown! With options for rodeo of course...
Bullfights!! That's what we need. Let's have some bullfights. Think of ther possibilities. They could sell advertising on the sides of the bull. When it's over, and the bull has been dispatched, Burgers and fries! Now that's a good business.
I still cant believe this sports arena is in the news again
THIS will never happen here in las vegas,NEVER
they could have built 10 arenas by now if they wanted too
the real reason ,and the non political answer is you need any owner to even hint they would like a stadium in your town.No owner/investor would ever invest ,especially in a franchised sport in this town
las vegas is so easily labeled,and trust me this is not,nor will ever be considered a locale to bring in a team
las vegas,except for the last 4-5 years,of course builds anything they frickin wanna build.If the wealth in this town wanted a stadium,and thought that it could succeed,the stadium would have been built,even if it was privatized
We all know family/friends that live in other states,and whenever sports franchises are brought up,las vegas is always mentioned,but quickly squashed when people point out the draw of las vegas,and the lack of infrastructure
As a resident i would like to see it happen,especially since i live in the highlands,but it wont,and most realistic people will realize this
peace out
The only new sports venue than makes any sense would be a boutique retractable domed baseball stadium of not more than 40,000 seats for a MLB team.
Las Vegas would not have to provide the entire fan base for a team. The new stadium and the visiting team could be marketed to attract fans from the visiting team city (Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, etc.) The LVCVA along with other MLB teams could be used to market packages to away teams for Las Vegas home stands.
I would also suggest the perfect site for this would be the suggested arena location behind the Imperial Palace. If you are going to market this idea in away cities, you will need to locate the stadium near the strip and resorts. The stadium itself could be equipped with luxury boxes (mostly like purchased by the resorts) to be used as another "comp" to their resort clients.
This would be a win-win situation, bring more tourist fans to Las Vegas, more money being spent at the resorts and in the community and providing residents with a professional sports team. Plus a baseball boutique stadium is much less of a threat to existing facilities at UNLV/MGM/Mandalay Bay.
The more I read about both - a professional sports arena and high-speed rail from California - the more I realize both will not happen.
But if both ever did - they should have the high speed rail from California drop people directly off at the sports arena. If the arena were on the southern edge of the city near the 15 there would be plenty of space for both.
People from California would come see sports here if it was only a 1.5 hour comfortable ride from LA. Make it convenient with a 100 yard or less walk from the train exit to the stadium entrance. Sell the tickets with the train passes at a discounted rate and Californians would fill those seats. That way we would not have another monorail on our hands.
Too bad Oscar, too bad. How can a man go down hill so fast?. Just be quiet Mr. Mayor, you say more just by not saying anything. If there is ever an arena to be built I hope the Mayor has nothing to do with it, he'll just fire everyone and rehire them for every event won't ya Mr. Mayor?
PUTTING A STADIUM ON THE 13 ACRES DOWNTOWN has been a work in progress for almost 15 years. So far, such efforts have failed. Some primary reason are (1) a downtown location is BOXED-IN on three sides, (2) traffic in and out of the stadium's parking lot would be one big traffic jam, and (3) no major team would move to Las Vegas or Clark County if potential problems would suggest the potential for poor attendance, the lack of a fan base, or any situations that might inhibt making a (necessary) profit.
A major sports team needs to sell tickets (make money), they need fans, they need national visibility, and they need SUCCESS.
Las Vegas/Clark County can neither GUARANTEE a fan base, nor that other teams will COME TO Las Vegas to play our "home team." It is very questionable as to whether there would be sufficient, and cosistant, ticket sales, etc. - to provide the income needed to run a sports stadium, pay staff salaries, and fund all the expenses of running a team - including advertising, promotions, etc.
One example of problems that a BOXED-IN LOCATION presents is what almost happened in Alexandria,Virgina over 20 years ago. Jack Kent Cook, owner of the Washington Redskins Football Team, wanted to move frrm Washington, DC, into Virginia.
A railroad yard site was selected which was adjacent to a Route 1 - a north-south state highway with 2 lanes in each direction - about 2 miles south of Washinton, DC. If constructed, this stadium would have been BOXED-IN on 3 sides - with Office buildings to the north, homes to the south, industry to the east - and homes on the west across the highway from the railroad yard.
The highway could not be widened without the removal of a large number of private homes on the opposite (west) side of the railroad yard. Further, this highway was already congested with constant traffic going north and south - with commuters, tourists, busines traffic, etc.
IN A SIMILAR MANNER, customers of Downtown Las Vegas Casinos would have to COMPETE with traffic that the (est. 18,000) people attending a sport event would generate. If nothing else, THE TRAFFIC and PARKING PROBLEM would turn visitors away - and kill the casino business downtown, real fast.
Gambling, Entertainment, Restaurants, Shopping, and Conventions are the major draws to Las Vegas - on the Strip or downtown. I suggest we FORGET these extravagant and costly ideas of a stadium - and RE-ESTABLISH Las Vegas as the FUN CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, again.
This time - with a focus on "giving 'em what they want," and at a reasonable price. After all, VOLUME and EXCELLENCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE is how this town was built in the first place.
The two locales proposals near the strip would have a great location because people could actually use the monorail to end up at the Stadiums (either by the Sahara or Imperial Palace Monorail Stations). RTC is going to end up having getting the monorail eventually. Oscar should get more building more hotel/casinos between the Downtown & the Strip, so they could connect into one big superlocation.
downtown is too crowded as it is. lets add 6-10K cars in that tiny little area of the freeway and lets see how many times locals would want to do it again.
ok, sure, take a cab. you will pay out the ass to sit in traffic tho. take the bus, you will still have to sit in traffic....
bottom line, put a stadium where traffic flow is not anywhere near a tourist area. just look at downtown when there is a convention at the world market center...imagine the exit from the 95south to LV blvd is always backed up when somethings going on at cashman. downtown cannot handle any more traffic and just because there are 2 freeways right there does not mean they are any good to use. they suck at rush hour, imagine a game on top of it. stupid idea for placement, good idea for the economy....but....
look at the devil rays in tampa. no one really goes there unless a chicago team, the redsox, or a new york team plays there. it would be the same if not worse here. this town is too transient and would not create all too many local fans. the devil rays have been around over 10 years now i think, and still have a crappy fan base and thats not as transient as it is here. the bucs do good because they have been around for a long time. lets factor all this in and then put it in very undesirable conditions of down town and its going to be a very poor investment. lets thing strose parkway, or somewhere in northtown off the freeway...like around that 215/15 interchange, st rose and the 15...easy to get to, easy on, easy off, low freeway traffic and lets face it, from blue diamond and the 15 to the speedway is only 20-25 miles. this valley isnt very large.
people travel from long island to the bronx all the time to see the yanks play and thats at least 15 + miles depending on how far out you are. people will travel to a game if its easy and convenient for them to get to, not be a headache. people stay off the strip because of traffic or will go to a southern hotel like mandalay because its easy access compared to places like bellagio and mirage mid strip etc.
unless there was a dedicated exit and entrance to the stadium property its a headache.
We should definitly build an arena but there is no reason it should be downtown instead of on the strip. Traffic would definitly be horrible downtown, and at least if it were on the strip people could walk to it from their hotels!!