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Opinion
Nov. 22, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

NEVADA VIEWS: We must move forward with new City Hall

Project would be key to creating a better future for our children and grandchildren

To the editor:

On Wednesday, the Las Vegas City Council will vote on a matter that may well set in motion a series of actions that could ultimately create 13,000 permanent jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity.

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    • But if they vote no, they will bypass an unparalleled opportunity to bolster our local economy, provide much-needed jobs and significantly advance the renaissance of downtown Las Vegas over the next decade.

    The new Las Vegas City Hall isn't just about tearing down an old building and building a new one. It's about government acting more like a business and managing its real property assets in a prudent way to the benefit of its citizens.

    Today, we have a chance to create a better future for our children and their children. We've already started developing a much better Las Vegas with an urban core that includes medicine, arts, culture, commerce and more -- a great vision articulated by Mayor Oscar Goodman, the City Council and the Redevelopment Agency, and supported by investment from developers who will put their money on the line to revitalize our downtown.

    The new City Hall is part of the city's long term redevelopment plan that also includes the build-out of Symphony Park, where the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health is already currently seeing patients, and the Smith Center for the Performing Arts is under construction. As part of the new City Hall agreement, Forest City Enterprises, a highly respected national developer, is planning, as an anchor at Symphony Park, the first new hotel casino to be built downtown in decades.

    Relocating the City Hall will open up another important development opportunity on the current site and adjacent land. From a private sector perspective, it is a completely logical move to replace one aging asset (the old City Hall) with a new one (an arena and live entertainment district) that will generate property and sales taxes on premium property.

    The city recently approved an agreement for this area with the Cordish Co., a national developer adept at difficult revitalization projects in downtowns such as Kansas City, where they developed the Power and Light District. The agreement with Cordish requires a feasibility study for an arena and entertainment district as the first step toward the realization of a master redevelopment plan for downtown. If this project does move forward, downtown Las Vegas could potentially enjoy a similar future as downtown San Diego where the construction of Petco Park spurred significant private development over the ensuing years.

    The Las Vegas Redevelopment Authority, one of the most successful in the nation, has created this valuable public-private partnership to do just that on a site that becomes available only if City Hall is relocated.

    The new City Hall project will create construction jobs and sales tax revenue and help to fuel economic recovery in the short term. In the long term, it will prove to have been vital to the creation of a world-class downtown because of the spin-off development that is made possible through the city's thoughtful management of its real estate assets.

    Now is not the time to thwart development in downtown. Now is the time to promote it.

    Rita Brandin

    LAS VEGAS

    The writer is senior vice president of Newland Communities, which is the project manager at Symphony Park.

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    Cavin Barnum wrote on November 22, 2009 05:52 PM: et's see now, A new City Hall will improve the lives of all within the city limits. Is that correct?

    Then, we have those who want to spend millions on a new UNLV Football Stadium to improve the football program and lives of the students at UNLV. Is that correct?


    Of course, Mayor Oscar Goodman wants a new sports arena downtown to build up tourism for the Fremont Casinos. Is that correct?


    We have the school district that wants to spend billions more on new schools in a system tht is truly failing its students. Is that correct?


    Now with all these proposals will really improve the lives of our citizenry. What folly and laughable ideas to waste more and more of our money.


    Gas Passer wrote on November 22, 2009 01:31 PM: Don Best wrote on November 22, 2009 11:19 AM:

    "But if they vote no, they will bypass an unparalleled opportunity to bolster our local economy, provide much-needed jobs and significantly advance the renaissance of downtown Las Vegas over the next decade".

    Revision:

    "But if they vote no, they will bypass an unparalleled opportunity to bolster our local economy, provide much-needed UNION jobs and significantly advance the renaissance of downtown Las Vegas over the next decade".

    Sorry, Rita. Your agenda is officially un-hidden.
    ===============================

    Don, thanks for putting this in the correct perspective.


    Tim wrote on November 22, 2009 12:49 PM: News Flash! Rita Brandin says,We have to build a new city hall or my sorry a#@ will be out of a job!

    Case closed.......................


    Athos wrote on November 22, 2009 12:23 PM: Rita, didn't you read yesterday's article about the Golden Nugget's new tower? That was financed with PRIVATE MONEY! In case you don't understand that concept, some one is putting up their OWN MONEY to build up downtown. We (the taxpayers that live in Clark county) are OUT OF MONEY. That means we have to STOP SPENDING MONEY.

    Get the picture?


    Don Best wrote on November 22, 2009 11:19 AM: "But if they vote no, they will bypass an unparalleled opportunity to bolster our local economy, provide much-needed jobs and significantly advance the renaissance of downtown Las Vegas over the next decade".

    Revision:

    "But if they vote no, they will bypass an unparalleled opportunity to bolster our local economy, provide much-needed UNION jobs and significantly advance the renaissance of downtown Las Vegas over the next decade".

    Sorry, Rita. Your agenda is officially un-hidden.


    douglas wrote on November 22, 2009 11:17 AM: let those lifer, pant seat polishers work out of some "temporary" school rooms. just because the drunk "managing" the federal wallet writes bad checks when already overdrawn is zeeero excuse for las vegas.

    whatever happened to saving up for something ? izzat practice only for the serfs/taxpayers ?


    RHG wrote on November 22, 2009 09:45 AM: Be very suspicious of anyone using the line "for the children". I am sure this "project manager" is going to benefit herself in the here and now.


    Rita Brandin wrote on November 22, 2009 08:30 AM: By the way, I have no hidden agenda here. (My agenda isn't "hidden" because it's right in my title.)


    TONY wrote on November 22, 2009 07:51 AM: ....CREATING A BETTER FUTURE FOR OUR
    CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN....

    PS: MAYBE OUR KIDS WILL HAVE BETTER
    LUCK WITH THE JOBLESS RECOVERY.....


    b wrote on November 22, 2009 07:48 AM: No Yak, dirty Harry and alkie Goodman willl name their price to award the contract, for an un-needed city hall


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