If an NFL stadium is built in Las Vegas, it could have a significant impact on minorities and disadvantaged people who live in the valley, according to developers.
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Democratic leaders and representatives from the Las Vegas Sands Corporation announced Thursday a community benefits agreement tied to the stadium. At its core, the agreement guarantees stadium jobs and opportunities to people who need it most.
Raquel Simpson hopes she can be one of the construction workers who builds the stadium. Simpson is a single mother who spent almost a year in prison, but she works every day to put that behind her.
Completing a four-month apprenticeship with Build Nevada was a start.
"It really changed my way of thinking and gave me hope because before that, every door was shut for me for a job when I got out so it was really difficult," Simpson said.
Stadium developers say they will actively hire people like Simpson.
"We wanted to work with the people that really needed help, those most in need," said Andy Abboud, a vice president with the Sands Corporation. "People that needed jobs more than anyone else, businesses that have been suffering."
Advocates like Sheila Collins say their communities need those opportunities.
"I'm going to believe their intentions are going to be good because I have no other reason not to so far," Collins said.
The announcement drew a diverse range of people, showing there's a belief in everything the stadium could offer.
"It gives them hope and opportunity for a real-paying job, not something like minimum wage," Simpson said. "Something that can really provide for their family."
Abboud and the Democratic leaders say the benefits agreement would last the lifetime of the stadium, making it unlike any deal of its kind in the country.
