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Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010 | 2:27 p.m.
Proposed arena site
Reader poll
Plans for a proposed sports arena on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip are in a holding pattern after developers Wednesday withdrew their application to the county zoning board.
Terry Care, the attorney representing International Development Management, said the company temporarily held the application for the Silver State Arena because "material changes" were made to the arena’s plans, which place the proposed 22,000-seat facility south of Sahara Avenue and east of Las Vegas Boulevard.
The property, formerly home of Wet 'n Wild, is owned by businesswoman and former Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sue Lowden.
A contentious discussion between residents from the nearby Turnberry Towers and the arena’s supporters took place at the Winchester town board meeting July 26. Turnberry residents expressed concerns about traffic problems, while proponents pointed to the possibility of new jobs and economic growth.
At that meeting, International Development Management CEO Chris Milam said he hoped the $400 million arena would open by October 2012. He also said negotiations were under way to bring an NBA team to Las Vegas.
Care said the company hopes to resolve the issues and bring the matter before county commissioners again.
That is a huge loss. The arena would bring a lot of revenue to the city and jobs. Everyone wants to diversify the economy but all you ever build is casinos.
Sad.
so we can blame sue lowden for the loss of Wet N' Wild ?
forget the arena, bring back Wet N' Wild!
That was a terrible location for the arena, anyway. They need to find a better location - not to mention private financing.
And yes, bring back Wet N' Wild!
Well, I favored the downtown location anyway, but the blueprint for this arena is real impressive and would put a lot of arenas to shame.
Holy hotpockets, Sue Lowden was the one who killed Wet n Wild?
ARGH! That place was awesome!
I hope she runs for election every cycle so that I can NOT vote for her every two years for the rest of her natural life.
Yes, all in favor of bringing back Wet & Wild say " I "...I
How about Warm Springs and LV Blvd So. Just need an overpass that works and there's pleanty of space. 22,000 seats aren't enough. Oh and by the way no pro team will be coming to Vegas because they won't be able to be bet on. Betting drives sports thats for sure.
Uh, no, Sue Lowden did not kill Wet 'N Wild. She and her husband, Paul, were the owners of the 27-acre site it sat on - the landlords. Wet 'N Wild was jointly owned by Seaworld developer George Millay & Summa Corp. (Howard Hughes Corp.). However, it is true that the Lowden's did want the land for a new resort they planned to construct (they were the owners of the Sahara Hotel next door). That, of course, never panned out. The Wet 'N Wild owners found a new property to relocate the water park to but never did, for reasons never revealed.
Goodman is right. We need to put government money into an Arena or we will fall behind as a tourist area.
Glendale AZ had a wrestle mania that drew 70,000 in the morning and a music concert (Paul McCartney?) that drew the same size audience in the evening.
The libertarians want the events to go to Texas.
One can have a water park feature at the arena.
And bring an NBA team to Las Vegas?
We had enough of that during the All-Star Weekend, so no thanks. We don't need the arena and the gang banger followers of the sport.
We DO NEED the Wet N Wild back though.
OK, so unless the areana is used everyday, how will it increase employment the way they say? Sure you'll have the standard "keep the facility" open staff, but high and low volumes of events will only increase its staff on a $7.00 per hour "temp" basis..
Turnberry has every right to question the traffic..how about parking? Other locations for future growth are available for the stadium and parking..
And only Perini will get rich building it and then the lawsuits will come like at CC. Cost over runs, etc..public money...yea, we need this! Look around the country and see how often stadiums are used...I would rather build a factory there and put people to work 360 days a year.
nba would be a bonanza to the stip club dancers and owners. Everyone else would get stiffed--like they do every time one of these tightwads plays--biggest group of stiffs in history!
You forgot the parenthesis (or you need to re-write that first paragraph).
You wrote:
after developers Wednesday withdrew their application to the county zoning board.
The developers aren't named Wednesday, so it should read:
after developers (on Wednesday) withdrew their application to the county zoning board.
It's hard to trust the accuracy of a news story when the accuracy of the composition is sorely in error.
Milam said he hoped the $400 million arena would open by October 2012. He also said negotiations were under way to bring an NBA team to Las Vegas.
That's not what he said, He said he had a Team committed if the city pony ups on the financing.
Key wording he had them. Not in negotiations as if it were a done deal and now it's in negotiations........
He probably told the NBA Team that financing was already a done deal too if they would commit that's why he would not indulge the team.
I don't always but I agree with Chuck Muth's comments regarding the arena. Please pay attention because he makes a valid point regarding the "tax" issue:
Clark County Commissioner Chris "G" appears to be the most ardent opponent of building a new sports arena on the Strip in Las Vegas -- a project which would put some 10,000 people back to work, like, immediately, as well as provide a new source of tax revenue without raising taxes.
Giunchigliani is claiming she opposes the arena because we shouldn't raise taxes to pay for it. And if that was the case, we'd agree with her.
But what Chris G isn't telling people -- especially people in the district where the arena will be built, which also happens to be the district she represents -- is that the taxes to build such a facility are already being collected, and ONLY from the property owners in the "redevelopment district" where the site is located, not from the general population.
But the worst part of this is the hypocrisy of Chris G's position. You see, when she was in the Legislature, Chris voted for a bill that imposed a tax hike on rental cars in Washoe County to finance the building of a AAA Baseball Stadium in Reno.
So apparently raising taxes to build a sports arena and put people to work in Reno is OK, but using existing taxes dedicated to redevelopment projects for a redevelopment project that would put thousands of people to work in her own district is a no-no. Only in the La-La Land of Liberals.
-Chuck Muth, Nevada Confidential, August 4th
I am not paying extra taxes to give someone else a new way to make money. It's insane that publicly funding a stadium is even considered. It is a horrible practice that should never have been started across the country.
The point I would like to make after reading comments are:
1. Wrong location
NO - It is not the wrong location. If you build it, they will come. The people who are saying it is wrong location are the people living in Turnberry and have no vision. If the arena does get built, their property value will sky rocket, they can sell and move to Pahrump (ok-maybe Summerlin). But the main point: PEOPLE - YOU LIVE ON THE LAS VEGAS STRIP!
2. Traffic - It's going to be congested
Wow, can you imagine congestion? That means people are spending MONEY. Money generates Tax Revenue.
Tax Revenue means Education and Service dollars.
Congestion also means cars using fuel. Fuel equals fuel tax for roads. I don't know about you but I am not a fan of potholes.
3. Monorail aka MonoFAIL
Working in conjunction with the Arena could save the Monorail. Now I am not saying that it is going to become an overnight sensation and become profitable but it will bring it new life. Much needed because right now, it remains the MonoFAIL.
4. And to all the people complaining about new taxes - you need to do your homework and look at the comment made above
Christopher is an example of the ignorant libertarian policies destroying Nevada.
LA biult staples center and it is cash cow for the city. Wake up. It takes money to make money.
I'm confused as to why people are surprised by this decision.
I knew it would never happen.
That property was wrapped with a fence and signs that said jobs are being brought to Las Vegas on the Strip.
And that wrap was put up before the June primaries.
Ms. Sue Lowden did it to pander for votes.
But it didn't work.
Because her "penicillin for poultry" statement, coupled with her campaign manager telling the press that Las Vegas already has excellent health care; in that if you get a bullet in your chest, you can show up at UMC and they will take care of you. In other words, you have to be on death's door to get this excellent health care, according to that idiot's reasoning.
That arena thing was a deflection. Just to get votes.
And it didn't work for Sue Lowden. The Tea Party consumed the Republican Party from the inside and Sharron Angle got the nod. Crazy is cool for the Republicans in Nevada now.
Bad location from the get go.
Arena should be built with private money!
NBA would bring in a lot of neggative in Las Vegas.
(NBA players for the most part don't tip)
they spend money, but any real money normal day Las Vegas actually put in their pocket. (Cash). Will be minimal compared to extra taxes to fund the arena).
Government will get their money. Not u and I
Why don't NBA players tip? I just don't understand. That's so disgusting. I don't even agree with the tipping system, but I do it just because. I wish servers would get paid a proper wage. Why should anyone get paid more for bring out lobster, as opposed to a burger? It's the same work.
Apparently Nick is an example of someone whom the moderators should be moderating. There's no room for personal, ad hominem attacks in a legitimate debate.
Nothing is "destroying Nevada." Period. Certainly not the lack of a sporting arena that was not here just the same while the city and state was booming... As for "libertarian" ideas - they actually run very deep right here in Nevada and have for a very long time.
Traffic in las vegas is nearly non existant if you compare to just about any other major city in the United States. There are 6 lanes just about everywhere in town.
Here's an idea: Cut the amount of roads, make express lanes, and force people to take busses and/or a future monorail in town. What a novel idea. Mono rails have not worked in the past, because there was not enough demand for them in town. The RTC is a good start, but needs WAY more demand to get going. Make it super expensive to park downtown perhaps?
Traffis is the worst excuse I have ever heard. If you build it, they will come...
They should take the money spent on that lame "Camp Vegas" ad campaign and use that as a down payment.
Lowden should turn the site into a chicken farm to help those without health care.
Saw some yahoo on TV representing the Lowden's and comparing this site to LA's Staples Center. Called this new urban planning....adding that growth follows the building of something like this.
What this buffoon fails to realize is that not one but two major freeways are within two blocks of the Staples Center. D'oh!
I suppose when you are on the Lowden's pay roll you'll prostitute yourself for a buck.
We have lived here since 1993 and Paradise road has NEVER been completed...it lives in a constant state of repair, red cones everywhere, and down to one lane. If this town can;t fix a road - it can't handle a 22 thousand seat arena.
Publicly funded stadiums don't work out in the long run. Teams are too easily moved or worse they extort the cities for more concessions from the taxpayers. Just look at Seatlle; they imploded the Kingdome but everyone is still paying for the bonds it took to build it and they're paying for 2 other stadiums.
yeh and sue and paul lowden will make a kill when they sell that parcel
Hey green617 -
What part of privately funded isn't understood?
From what I read, this project requires no tax payer revenue - not even a bailout like CityCenter. I say, break ground and get people working then bring a NBA team to Vegas and some kick a** concerts!
If you don't understand how Redevelopment Districts work - see comments above
That is the absolute worst location. There are 2 access roads to that location: Las Vegas Blvd and Paradise Rd. Thats it! I can't believe it would even be considered. It couldnt possibly "create 10 thousand new jobs". These events already happen at Thomas & Mack and they dont create 10 thousand jobs. Even if you count the homeless untrained parking staff! As usual, it is created by a company outside our community, then watch them leave it behind waving good luck to ya'll. No More Waste! We are watching our elected officials closely these days. Having the NBA here to ruin our town is not a bonus point on their proposal.
To "allaroundtown" -
All other locations in town require public financing - I personally do not support spending my hard earned money given to an arena. I want it to go to roads and schools. How would you propose funding an arena? It is the private sector that puts people back to work, not the Obama/Pelosi/Reid machine and their failed policies.
Also, please explore the success of Staples Center in LA. Petco Park in San Diego. The list goes on and on...
You should reconsider your statement and gather a vision for Las Vegas' next 30 years
This arena will bring life back to Las Vegas.
Anyone who thinks an NBA or NHL team would succeed in this town is a fool. This isn't Oklahoma City where the only thing to do at night is go to Applebees. This is a city of transients, both locals and tourists. There is a big difference between the support for UNLV when Tark was here and a mediocre NBA team. Tark had one of the top college teams in the country and Vegas was smaller then. The city had a sense of community. Now the entertainment choices are vast. Visitors coming to town want to spend their money in nightclubs, not in a basketball arena. When the Lakers played here the arena would probably fill only for the novelty of California vistors wanting to see them. You think visitors from Texas are going to fill the arena to see the Spurs or Mavs, doubtful.
The team that would move here is going to a struggling NBA franchise that has money woes. Sacramento or Golden State. The Warriors haven't won a title since 1975. The Kings have never won one. Actually I apologize for that mistake. They won a title in 1951 when they were The Rochester Royals.
If you are judging attendance by the NFR that would be a big mistake. The NFR is the equivalent to the Superbowl for Rodeo fans.
On another point that part of the Las Vegas Strip is dead. You have the Sahara which hasn't been relevant since the original Ocean's 11 with Frank Sinatra. The Rivera last time that was important was in the late fifties. The Circus-Circus, one of the biggest eysores on Las Vegas Blvd. The empty lot where the Stardust use to be and less we forget, The unfinished Foutainbleu.
Go ahead and build the arena. It might be lucky to draw 7-8 thousand fans and ten thousand empty seats. The crowds will be smaller than where the teams played before.
"Build it and they will come"?? How did that work out for the UNLV Silverbowl? They built it and NO ONE came. It eventually became the Sam Boyd Stadium and still NO ONE comes outside of the rare rock concert. Ill conceived projects will always fail. And if this one is so great then why aren't private investors falling over each other to get a piece of it?
If a stadium brings jobs and visitors, then great, let the casinos build it. NO Tax dollars--not even the hidden tax rebates and refunds that are in the fine print of these proposals. Look at the Monofail-it's listed as a charity to get around paying sales taxes. Get real.
We shouldn't get an NBA team, nor should we want one. What we do need is a new arena for all sorts of other events to keep us competitive as an entertainment destination.
While this location is not perfect, is better than others, such as the site suggested behind Planet Hollywood. This proposal failed because it would inconvenience the rich people at Turnberry - in this day and age, the wants of the few outweigh the needs of the many.