UPDATE: After months of discussion we are getting a better idea of where developers want to build a proposed 65,000 seat NFL stadium.
The group led by Las Vegas Sands Corp and Majestic Realty told the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee they prefer a site along the Las Vegas Strip corridor.
"We want it to be within walking distance or an easy cab ride or Uber ride for people on the Strip, as well as proximity to the 15 or the 215 for local fans to come," Andy Abboud, Las Vegas Sands Corp Senior Vice President of Government Relations said.
The group presented the committee with a list of the four primary sites they are doing the most work on right now.
(1) Bali Hai Golf Course - Las Vegas Boulevard south of Russell Road (Across from Harley-Davidson)
(2) Russell Road - A desert lot at the corner of Russell Road and Valley View Boulevard
(3) Fertitta Site – 100 plus acres at Tropicana Boulevard and Dean Martin Drive currently home to the Wild Wild West Travel Plaza
(4) UNLV Campus – two options here around the Thomas & Mack Center
They also say they have three secondary locations in case there are problems with their primary options.
(5) Wynn Golf Course – The 18-hole course at Desert Inn and Paradise Road
(6) MGM Rock in Rio – The corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara that hosted the concert last year.
(7) Cashman Center – Current home of the Las Vegas 51s AAA baseball team
The committee brought up possible concerns with the group’s four primary choices because of the proximity to McCarran International Airport.
The airport has raised concerns in the past about one of the sites on the UNLV campus.
The FAA would have to clear any building over 200 feet, and the committee wants to make sure the developer begins discussions about that before the August 25th meeting.
They also asked that they return to that meeting with one site that is likely to move forward and a second that may be more beneficial to them, but has obstacles they think can be overcome.
Everyone seemed to think they can get a plan together to before the governor’s deadline at the end of September.
While there was a lot of talk about the site of the proposed stadium Wednesday, there was little talk of the financing plan.
This a day after a KTNV-TV 13 Action News/Rasmussen Reports poll.
Fifty-five percent of voters polled in Nevada’s largest county said they’d oppose pledging up to $500 million in public funds to help finance a stadium that could potentially bring an NFL team to Las Vegas, with 35 percent in favor and 10 percent undecided.
Las Vegas Sands Corp responded to that poll after presenting at Wednesday’s meeting.
"They don't want to pay for it and the beauty of that is this public funding is going to be tourists paying for it,” Abboud said. "Our questions were more specific to our specific funding mechanism."
"The citizens of Las Vegas and Clark County are very much in support of any stadium or any facility that is paid for by tourists,” Abboud went on to say. “The difference I think is the nuanced messaging that public dollars is different than tourist dollars."
Two of the members of the committee echoed that sentiment when asked about the new poll.
"In my opinion the purpose of the room tax is to enhance tourism coming into the valley. Whether that is to sponsor events, whether that is used to build facilities like we did with the convention center, remodel it. To build another facility like a stadium," Clark County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak said.
"It has nothing to do with my property tax. It has nothing to do with when I go out to buy something, a sales tax," Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said.
The committee is expected to make a recommendation to Governor Brian Sandoval by the end of September.
Any tax increase would need to be approved by the state Legislature, which is scheduled to convene in February 2017 or can be called into a special session by the governor.
ORIGINAL STORY
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) -- Officials meet Thursday morning to try to hammer out a possible location for a proposed $2 billion pro football stadium.
A group led by the Sands Corporation and Majestic Realty Co. want about half a billion of that money would come from a hotel-motel or room tax on tourists.
In theory, tourists who stay at hotels here in Las Vegas would foot the bill, not local taxpayers.
But taxpayers like Elizabeth Meza oppose spending one cent of public money even if it is only coming from tourists.
“Against it,” Meza said. “I think they can use that money for better things, education.”
According to a new KTNV/Rasmussen Reports poll, most people here the valley are against using any public money to help fund the proposed stadium. Fifty-five percent say no to pledging public funds, 35 percent say yes, and 10 percent are undecided.
13 Action News asked to Clark County Chairman Steve Sisolak if it is fair to expect that room tax to pay for part of the stadium.
Sisolak answered, “If you’re going to get a benefit more than you’re investing in the stadium, then I think it’s reasonable to use some of what is being deemed as public money.”
Sisolak added, “I think the jury is still out whether that’s appropriate and how much money would be appropriate.”
