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The closed pool area and the Fremont Street Experience are shown through locked gate of the Plaza Hotel & Casino. The company recently announced that it would be closing its hotel and portions of its casino to make much-needed repairs and renovations to all guestrooms and hallways.
By Dave Toplikar (contact) 
Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010 | 3:03 p.m.
Oscar Goodman
Imagine a pedestrian tunnel running west from the Fremont Street Experience under the Plaza Hotel & Casino, under the Union Pacific railroad tracks and eventually opening out into Symphony Park in Las Vegas' downtown.
Now imagine that tunnel containing shops or even restaurants along the way.
Mayor Oscar Goodman has been imagining such an underground gateway — and he talked more about it Thursday morning to reporters at his weekly press conference at city hall.
"There has to be connectivity between the Fremont Street Experience and the west side of the railroad tracks," Goodman said.
The mayor said a decision revealed earlier this week by the owners of the Plaza Hotel & Casino of their plans to renovate the 1,037 hotel guest rooms ends speculation that the property could be razed to make way for a pedestrian link to developments at Symphony Park.
No, the Plaza won't be imploded. And, no, there won't be a great arch drawing people from the west side of Fremont Street into Symphony Park, he said.
But a subterranean gateway could work, he said.
"I believe that we could go under the track and under the Plaza," Goodman said.
He plans to suggest to the Plaza owners that such a tunnel could also serve as a shopping mall, "where people will be able to walk from Fremont Street Experience under the Plaza, underground, both sides of it having shopping, and restaurants even, make it a pleasant pedestrian experience ... That's what it's all about to get the folks from one side to the other."
He said the tunnel would be about the same length as the existing Ogden Avenue underpass, which begins just west of Main Street and runs under the tracks west to Grand Central Parkway.
"It would be similar, but it would be pedestrian and have shops on both sides," Goodman said. "It's not a long walk. You wouldn't have the heat to worry about. It would probably be air conditioned under there, or misted, but you don't have the heat of the sun as you would if you walked down a regular street."
The concept isn't unique, he said.
"You go to Madison Square Garden and that's all underground, basically where the train station is there," he said. "And they have all of the shops, the great restaurants, the bookstores, the whole works right underground."
Goodman pointed out that he has not yet run the idea by the owner of Tamares U.S. Real Estate, which owns the Plaza.
“I haven’t run this past them. And they may say, as many people have said, ‘the mayor’s nuts.’ And that’s OK,” Goodman said.
On another downtown matter, Goodman also said he's been regretting that the city has entered an exclusive negotiating agreement with the Cordish Company to develop the city-owned land on and around the existing city hall and parking garage.
"We're not allowed to negotiate with anybody else," Goodman said. "In the past month or so I've had three, I would say substantial, groups come to me wanting to talk about building an arena. And I said I can't talk to them."
The mayor said the city will stand by its two-year contract with Cordish, which lasts for about another year.
He said Cordish's track record is such that it has built beautiful entertainment districts throughout the country.
"I'd love them to be able to figure out a way where we could build an arena because I think that we need an arena," he said. "As I said before, I think we need an arena now more than ever, or a stadium more than ever to compete with other venues throughout the country that could very well start taking some of our great convention attractions away from us."
Oscar. If you want an arena and a stadium, I would reach out to your friends, Steve Wynn, Sheldon Adelson, Jim Murren, The Fertittas, Maloof and anyone else with deep pockets who live in Las Vegas to come up with the money to build them. Use private money to fund these projects. Please don't put the burden on the taxpayers. Enough already.
Yes! A new place for muggers to hang out. They absolutely love pedestrian tunnels and underground gathering places, like subway stations.
Allow the Plaza to but in a basement or kiosk style gaming area with a couple of express elevators and some sliding sidewalks like at McCarren and your good to go. Actually a good idea for once from the Mayor.
I can already smell it now. Bums gathering to drink, urinate, vomit and litter. Beautiful!
Oscar is not cheep to keep is he?
It shouldn't cost much, and the reason Oscar is saying this is because there are already tunnels under the old casinos from the 'good old days' of money laundry/escape plans. Oscar probably used them himself back in the day.
I bet the tuxedo and evening gown clad crowd attedning events at the Smith Center just can't wait to walk through a tunnel to get to the performing arts center.
Guess they can take bets on the number of bums they will have to step over on the walk in the tunnel.
Give the guy a break.. He is trying to do SOMETHING ,,,,I don't say he has all of the answers but he is trying to give downtown a chance ,,, why don't we give him a chance and just support what he is doing .. it may work ! better than what we have now huh....
Even before I clicked on the comments, I knew what they'd be. I can smell the urine now.
Now imagine the smell of the hordes of homeless/bums/ne'er-do-wells living in that tunnel and accosting the potential patrons of those fine "tunnel restaurants and retail stores".
Ever heard a New Yorker speak of the much-loathed Bridge and Tunnel crowd. I'd take that Bridge and Tunnel Crowd (even the ones from NJ) over those in Las Vegas.
For downtown to make a comeback, you must REMOVE that god ugly canopy with it's silly cartoons, and restore traffic to Fremont Street. Next upgrade the existing Hotel/Casinos there in a classic fashion, literally restore glitter gulch to what it once was!!
Removal of the canopy is not going to happen in your lifetime. Next!
If the proposed tunnel is developed like the underground retail area in Toronto, it will work.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PATH1....
Oscar Goodman is good for this city. Everyone on here sits there and says that we need jobs and people before we do things like get an arena or sports team. The funny thing is, businesses would be more willing to move here if the amenities are there. Not everyone wants to gamble or go clubbing, so we need other activities to keep this city viable. Oscar realizes that and has been the biggest proponent of it.
Sounds dangerous. In addition to muggers, add other unforeseen problems such as cave-ins/collapses, explosion due to gas leaks, or floodings.
But I wouldn't sweat it. This has ZERO chance of happening.
They can sell tickets to the tunnel. With all the freaks lurking downtown, it could be billed as a sort of year round Halloween fright house.
Hum, underground. Best way to see downtown.
@ BeatTheWolfPack
To answer your question: What in the hell is going through Oscar's head? Gin
O.K. that was fun but I see what he is trying to do he is brainstorming for ideas, I hope someone will take into account about water shedding or dissipation of some sort, how much flash flooding does this area get.
I have been to a underground shopping mall in Atlanta it was ok but over priced.
I have got an idea for the brainstorming board give the public what they want at a price they are willing to pay and you will have all the business you can handle.
What is with the mayor and this Symphony park deal? I just don't get it.
I'll tell you what the mayor's deal is. He's trying to secure a legacy for himself through monuments. Whether they succeed or not is apparently not important.
Has the man completely lost his mind?! Where does he think he's going to get this money from?? The state is broke, the school district can't even teach an 11th grader how to add 2 and 4 because of lack of funds and we're creeping towards 15 percent unemployment! Spend, spend, spend, spend, spend! That'll fix everything!
And God bless the Smith Center, but really. If big broadway shows can hardly hack it on the Strip and no one can be bothered to go over to UNLV to see orchestras, ballets, etc. then what in the holy hell makes anyone think that the indolent classes of Las Vegas are suddenly going to take an interest in a new lavish symphony hall downtown? All anyone has to do is look at the Board of Directors of this place. Same old names from the Philharmonic, to the ballet to MGM Mirage and not a single one of those organizations can paint a pretty picture about its financial future.
This city is completely looney. Period. End of story. Nothing more to be said. The Smith Center is going to be Neonopolis all over again, except this time it's going to be really, really expensive. Anyone remember a place called CityCenter? Remember how it was going to be the beginning and end all of everything that ever was or will be and everyone in the world was going to trek here just to have one glimpse at its greatness? Remember that? CityCenter the place that saw a multi-billion dollar operating loss in its very first quarter? Um yeah. Tell me more, Mr. Mayor about how wonderful Las Vegas is and how interested everyone is in Downtown. If CityCenter is failing on the Strip what makes you think that the Smith Center is going fare any better? Unless they plan on sticking in some topless cocktail waitresses and a few hundred slot machines I can tell you right now it's going to bomb. And I'm sure UNLV is going to be happy to lose the revenue from the same shows that will be jumping ship for the Smith Center. Aren't they scrambling for every dime they can get these days?
Rob Peter, pay Paul. Tell everyone that everything is going to be swell.
What a great idea from the mayor. Dig a tunnel in the toxic waste remains from the Union Pacific railroad yard operations. The removal of the hazardous waste materials won't cost more than several billion dollars, but it will be a glorious corridor. Even better, how about making it deeper and include a sports arena underground, too.
The Canopy will be shut down and torn down within a year or so..
I can not believe that the local media has completely missed the main point of the Plaza "Closing for Remodelling."
It's closing because it is in foreclosiure. A Notice of Trustee Sale has been recorded aginst the property. The first sale date was postponed to October 1, 2010. Rumor is they are trying to re-negotiate their note. My hunch is the lender is going to take control of the property. What a bunch of baffoons!
As much as I like Mayor Goodman, his ideas are nothing but a pipe dream! Why cant anyone who works for the city use any common sense for a change? Mayor Goodman wants a sports team. Fine. Who's gonna watch when A. Unemployemnt is at or near 15% B. The 2 minor league teams (Wranlers and 51's) cant even sell out, what makes you think pro sports will? The city has 2 million people, with people leaving everyday! (Thank Goodness)
For some reason, the people who run this city seem to think that if you build it, they will come? Well Where the F are they? There's way too many houses, many of them empty. There isnt enough jobs here. Building projects half built, started or scrapped. WTF? Ever heard of the term less is more? Or one step at a time? Las Vegas has completely lost sight and has missed the forest for the trees
A tunnel underneath the tracks thru to the Plaza is a stupid idea. all its going to do is give the homeless a place to sleep, piss and do god knows what.
It would be better if they have an above ground pedestrian bridge similar to what they have in Metro Manila and Bangkok linking offices and shopping malls rather than an underground walkway. With the under-construction City Hall, RTC Transit Terminal and the unique buildings at Symphony Park together with the Clark County Government Center it would be better to have an above ground pedestrian bridge to take advantage of the scenery in the area and beyond.