Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
By Kyle B. Hansen (contact) 
Published Tuesday, May 18, 2010 | 1:35 p.m.
Updated Tuesday, May 18, 2010 | 5:58 p.m.
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)
An official with MGM Mirage, the largest operator of arenas in the county, told Clark County commissioners Tuesday the company is in “strong opposition” of any arena proposal that requires public financing.
Commissioners heard reports from three groups that have proposed building arenas near the Strip, as well as from Las Vegas city officials about the city’s arena plan. Commissioners also heard from MGM Mirage officials, which already have arenas in Clark County.
The board didn’t take action Tuesday, but asked a number of questions and sought follow-up presentations for a future meeting.
MGM Mirage Chief Marketing Officer Bill Hornbuckle said the company isn’t opposed to having more arenas in the area, but giving one group public financing would be an unfair competitive advantage.
“None of the arena proponents today is willing to take the same risk MGM Mirage, Mandalay Resort Group, Boyd Gaming and Coast Casinos made when they built their own permanent arenas using 100 percent privately funded dollars,” he said. “None of the proponents are willing to build an arena unless the public shoulders the risk.”
Hornbuckle, who oversees the company’s arenas at MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay, said the county’s five existing arenas aren’t at capacity.
All three of the new arena proposals would require some sort of public financing.
A group is proposing to build an arena on the former Wet 'n Wild site near the Sahara hotel-casino. The plan calls for funding from the county’s Redevelopment Authority, which commissioners have mothballed.
Because commissioners on Monday approved the county’s budget for the next fiscal year, the county would have to wait a year to fund a project through the authority, county staff said.
The other two arena proposals -- one on land owned by Harrah's east of the Strip and another with land on Las Vegas Boulevard between Silverado Ranch Boulevard and St. Rose Parkway -- seek a special sales tax to finance the plans.
Such a tax would have to be approved by the Legislature.
Las Vegas is also planning to build an arena on city-owned land downtown that could potentially compete with an arena on the Strip.
Commissioner Steve Sisolak said he is concerned about how a new arena would affect the Thomas & Mack Center at UNLV.
UNLV officials were at the county commission meeting Tuesday but declined when offered the chance to speak to commissioners.
Some commissioners were hesitant to use public funding.
“I’m not against an arena,” Commissioner Susan Brager said. “I just think the funding mechanism might not be where it needs to be.”
Commissioner Larry Brown said he would like to see a sports arena, but he thinks at this time an additional facility would likely cannibalize the area’s existing arenas.
Commissioner Tom Collins said he would consider some kind of public financing for an arena, but didn’t indicate which proposal he favored.
Comment removed by moderator. Comment was all caps.
So, is a new arena needed for the Coyotes, after Gary Bettman moves them Phoenix to Las Vegas?
We dont need a arena.. we need cheaper buffets and shows on the strip!
MGM/Harrahs should team up and share the cost to build a new facility (along with a little public funding to help out).
I'd love to see some fresh thinking for the construction of a mixed use monster that could host the rodeo, arena teams (NBA/NHL), concerts and perhaps even football games and/or the 51s. Think Cowboys Stadium, but with flexible configurations. I know nothing like that has been built before, but before things were done here they weren't done anywhere else.
A new arena/stadium is that important, since the rodeos could ride on off out of town without better facilities. That would be a major blow to the city.
Not surprised they oppose it, but I'd like to point out that any successful business welcomes competition.
Between UNLV which would lose millions from lost revenue at the Thomas and Mack Center and MGM which already has the MGM Grand Arena, and the Mandalay Bay Events Center there is NO way this stadium gets built, NONE. Whoever wasted the money on the sign outside the old Wet N Wild is a chump
We don't need another arena, we need public funding for schools.
Our school system is at the bottom of the education ladder and this town is trying to draw a sports team to play here.
What a pity the priorities of our supposed leaders are so screwed up!!!!
They must have been educated in the Clark County school system.
Some cannot end their thirst to TAKE more and more from others. Sales tax increases or other means to build an arena? Are they joking. We cannot even pay our bills. We are laying off employees and these geniuses want more taxes for new purposes? They just never quit.
Harrahs wants to build an Arena that will clearly compete against MGM Grand and Mandalay's facilities. It is in a location that will make it impossible for locals to get to as well. Dont create a tax to help Harrahs when it is clear that they would be getting a competitive advantage. But, funding another site makes too much sense.
Still - we need a major arena. Las Vegas is still a viable market for the NHL or NBA and it can not get a team unless a major arena is built. We are talking about one with luxury suites, large concourses and a footprint that can support basketball and hockey.
None of the facilities in town are good enough to get this done. If tourists are paying for it - fine. Create the funding mechanism to get it done. We will lose the NFR to Dallas if this does not happen, then what will the town do in December?
When we are looking at one of the largest fights in years to be looking at going to Dallas instead of staying in Vegas - it is all due to a new facility in Dallas and not having one in Las Vegas.
UNLV can remain at the T & M
MGM and Mandalay will still have their buildings for fights and concerts.
But to get a professional sports team - not minor league, we need a major league arena. MGM Grand does not have one, neither does Mandalay or Orleans or the T & M.
The Thomas and Mack can not hold NHL games due to not being built for a ice surface. It is too short and we all saw that their temporary ice never worked well when the Thunder was in town.
Create a tax and get this done. It would be forward thinking for once in this town. Then the Maloofs can move their NBA team to Vegas.
Sorry the schools are screwed up by not taking progressive steps to create new districts instead of turning the CCSD into this monster unmanagable district. Their poor funding by the State has nothing to do with funding an Arena.
Everyone who is posting here will go to this new building to support Vegas' own team for many years to come. The city would gain millions annually by bringing major league sports to town and the ability to bring in new businesses to Las Vegas would increase with a better quality of life for doing this.
The County Commissioners seem totally uninformed about the subject matter. After seeing them agree to outragous concessions with local unions, they should remove themselves on subjects that they have no knowledge about. This is clearly one of them.
It would be nice to have at least one professional sport franchise in LV. I'd prefer an NFL team!
Who gives a F what MGM Mirage has to say about this? Who the F are they? They must think that competition is non American. MGM Mirage is a joke and eventually will have to sell off properties because they have WAY overextended themselves.
So, MGM opposes an new arean that would help them fill rooms by bring ing bigger and better events........Ok, nice job MGM, shoot yourself in the foot !!
We need an arena, and I agree the taxpayers shouldn't put out a dime. Probably get a NHL team no problem, baseball/football. Basketball is a long shot...
MGM is just pissed because they don't want competition.
we can have the monorail run from the airport, to the arena, to fremont. Works for most other cities!
NO Sales tax increase to fund an arena. If a pvt entity wants to build an arena then go for it but I will not pay extra sales tax just to fund an arena.
I'm NOT ready to have my tax dollars used to build another arena.
You want an arena, use your own money to build it. That includes the "city officials," you like the idea of another arena, put up your money or shut up.
They claim that any sales tax increase would only have an effect on the tourists since it would be collected only in the resosrt corridor.
BULL
There are many thousands of Las Vegas area residents who work and shop in the 'resort corridor'. This would be and automatic increase in the cost of their lunches, dinners, items they purchase at the mall, etc.
If the idea of an arena is so great, let the owners pay for it.
for once he is right---no public funding! And a new arena is totally unnecessary--silver bowl, mandalay bay, new orleans, mgm grand, thomas and mack--thats five arenas already!!!! This is one of the dumbest ideas in a long time---budget is strapped and cutting jobs, but wait lets spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a arena we don't need???? Sounds like the idea of building an airport terminal that the airlines say they don't need and don't want--oh wait--they already did that. New terminal--totally unneeded and almost finished!
Jerry Jones will be thrilled.
@mrlucky
The new International Terminal under-construction is way overdue. Have you seen the sub-standard and old International Terminal 2 lately. Even with the recent renovations it is still sub-standard compared to many International Terminals not only in the US but the world. I welcome a new International Terminal at McCarran, it can accomodate and bring in more foreign visitors to our city.
We need another arena, only if, it isn't a constructed to be another enclosed-in-a-casino arena. I've been to shows at both the Grand and the Bay, and each cannot showcase the sound that comes from an open space. If they want to build something, open, and thinking of how things sound, them I am game. If they want to build something else to funnel the sound of gambling back to the floor - then count me out.
I agree with MGM MIRAGE , there is nothing wrong with another arena or competition however it should not be at the tax payer expense.
Let he who wants to invest do so with their own private funding because they beleive in the project and are in for the long haul like MGM MIRAGE .
tax payer $$ should be going to other services lacking in the county.
Bark your no tax bark locals, and watch other Cities get, and keep, their teams. That is just the way arenas get built now. Period.
The Strip is not a good location. Why put a local sports franchise arena in the busiest tourist corridor in the world? Downtown is the best choice and I think Cities, instead of Counties, have a better chance of getting subsidies approved.