Goodman: Proposed UNLV arena project could face difficulty

By Dave Toplikar

Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011 | 12:34 p.m.

Getting public funding approved for a new domed sports arena near the UNLV campus at Tropicana Avenue and Paradise Road will be a "tough sell" for developers, Mayor Oscar Goodman said today.

"They're in a tough spot," Goodman told reporters today at his weekly news conference at Las Vegas City Hall.

On Tuesday, the project's developers showcased their plans for the 150-acre arena project, which would include retail space, residential housing and a 40,000-seat domed stadium.

They also indicated Tuesday that the project could be used by a professional basketball or hockey franchise, which would put it into competition with Goodman's and the Las Vegas City Council's efforts to build a downtown arena in Symphony Park.

Goodman said that Ed Roski Jr., a Los Angeles real estate businessman who is a partner in the Staples Center arena there and owns the Silverton Casino Lodge Hotel near the Las Vegas Strip, has been successful in his past ventures.

"And he's talking about doing this at the university and I'm really not sure as to the plans as how much participation would be by taxpayers — if any," Goodman said.

In light of plans to reduce university funding and discussions of cutting back on the number of students, "it's going going to be a tough sell, I would say, to politicians to have taxpayers pay," the mayor said.

However, Goodman said he wished Roski and his partners well with their plans.

"I think the community does need a brand new stadium," Goodman said. "I think it will add something to the university campus."

On Tuesday, the developers indicated they would go to state lawmakers to get permission to use tax increment financing for the project, which doesn't yet have a price tag.

Under their financing plan, the Nevada Legislature would create a University Enterprise District. Tax revenue generated in that district would finance the project. No taxpayer funding would be used from outside the district, they said.

The arena, which would provide a new home for UNLV football, would also be used by UNLV's basketball team.

The city already has tax increment financing set up for such a project, which Goodman has been pushing for years to lure in a professional sports team.

"Whoever has the first arena in the community, who ever turns the shovel, is going to have a professional basketball team or a hockey team or a soccer team," Goodman said. "I hope it's downtown. I hope we get it turned first. I just want to see the people in the community have a facility where we can have a major league sport."

Asked how plans were progressing on developing an arena project in Symphony Park, Goodman said there was nothing new to report.

"I know there have been attempts at communication back and forth, but not very successful," he said.

Goodman, who is winding up his third four-year term, said he had a phone call this morning from one of the interested parties.

"Hopefully, before I'm out of office, I'll be able to have an announcement," he said.