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UNLV in talks to build stadium and entertainment complex
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Updated: Jan. 20, 2011 | 7:16 a.m.
UNLV officials are in discussions to build a domed 40,000-seat stadium and entertainment complex on and around its campus while also upgrading the Thomas & Mack Center.
University president Neal Smatresk said in a statement Wednesday he has been in talks with Ed Roski and Craig Cavileer to form "a public-private partnership."
Roski owns Los Angeles-based Majestic Realty, one of the world's largest commercial builders. He also helped build L.A.'s Staples Center, and he has a stake in both the NBA's Lakers and NHL's Kings.
Cavileer, president of the Silverton Casino and a longtime business associate of Roski, said the development will be "much more" than just a stadium.
He would not discuss details but said he and Roski may make a formal announcement by week's end.
"We're not quite there yet," Cavileer said. "It's something that we've been working on for quite a while."
Smatresk was enthusiastic about the potential project.
"This is an attractive proposition. UNLV long has been interested in bringing UNLV football to the main campus and in updating the Thomas & Mack Center. This will allow us to build on our success, bring more visitors to Las Vegas, and retain the events that place the Thomas & Mack among the top grossing college arenas in the world."
Where exactly the new complex would be placed is uncertain, though Smatresk said it would be convenient to the Strip and McCarran International Airport.
Another source said most of it is expected to be on UNLV property.
Some available property near UNLV belongs to the Clark County Department of Aviation, but director Randy Walker said the parcels, a 44-acre piece and a parking lot, face "severe restrictions."
"I really can't speak to the viability of the concept, because I really don't know what it is," Walker said. "Probably about two-thirds, or maybe a little less than that, of the 44 acres really is not even usable, period. You can't even put a surface parking lot on it.
"Height would be an issue on any property we have. And then noise would be an issue depending on the types of uses that they're looking for."
Sources said the talks include building an indoor stadium similar in size to the Rebels' current football home at Sam Boyd Stadium. But Sam Boyd is 7 miles from campus, and many UNLV supporters have wished for an on-site venue. What would become of Sam Boyd, built in 1971 as the Silver Bowl, is uncertain.
Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak said a domed stadium near campus would be good for fans, players and UNLV athletics. The current stadium is too far away, he said, and fans must sit outside in the elements.
"I think it would be a huge shot in the arm for UNLV sports," Sisolak said.
The possible new stadium is expected to house more than UNLV football. It also could handle basketball games and special events such as the National Finals Rodeo -- a reliable sellout at the Thomas & Mack -- and potential Pac-12 Conference Championship should Las Vegas ever be awarded that football game.
A source said the university was approached about the project. It comes while the school and the athletic department face difficult financial times and are anticipating state budget cuts.
"During these challenging economic times, we are pursuing partnerships that help us retain or grow revenues," Smatresk said. "In any case, we are dedicated to improving the campus experience at UNLV and supporting efforts to create a premier tourist destination that is located near the international airport and the Las Vegas Strip."
Clark County commissioners last year expressed support for a new arena but opposed several plans that called for public funding. Sisolak said he liked the idea of a developer with a professional basketball arena on his resume who was willing to build a stadium with private money.
Commissioner Tom Collins said he would do everything in his power to help the stadium materialize but hopes it won't be another false start.
"It's all been talk," Collins said. "Show me the money."
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said he didn't know if a stadium near UNLV would hurt his plan of having a pro hockey or basketball team in a downtown arena. City officials have been negotiating with the Cordish Cos. since 2009 about building an arena, on the Symphony Park site, but haven't reached an agreement.
If a stadium is built at or near UNLV, Goodman said, that's fine.
"I am not unhappy about this. It's all great. It looks like the more activity, the closer we get to getting a professional sports team," he said.
"I personally believe the right site is downtown because it's a neutral site. It won't be associated with any casino operation and everybody will be able to buy the suites and the boxes without fear that they're helping a competitor."
Review-Journal reporter Scott Wyland contributed to this report. Contact reporters Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914 and Alan Choate at achoate@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.
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The short answer is that I would do NOTHING to help jocks. I don't want any moral responsibilty for some kid breaking his neck playing football. I don't want any part of basketball playing thugs sporting tatoos. I don't want to encourage swimmers, runners, etc to become steroid freaks. I pay for city ballfields and that's enough, thank you.
I oppose BIG Government and the high taxes necessary to fund it. Taxpayer supported stadiums, NCAA teams, golf courses, etc, are completely unnecessary.
Public education *is* Big Government. Abolish it and some enterprising fellow might open an affordable *private* school for tennis, hoops, football, etc. Otherwise let the kids play in privately funded/sponsored Little League, Pop Warner, and so forth.
Semi-pro caliber Nevadans should enroll in out-of-state schools or else tryout for Minor League teams.
Does that answer your question?
So nv7.blogspot.com, what do YOU actually WANT to do to assist the next generation of kids that are ATHLETICALLY gifted in this state?!?!?! Nothing? I think that's what you want....because these kids are throw away kids in your mind. They're gifted in something you don't appreciate?!?!?
You may not want to support athletics....or think you don't want to....but what happens when the support is gone? I mean, this is Vegas....the support has been TERRIBLE over the years anyway....don't you see what has happened? You end up putting some of the most gifted athlete in this city out on the streets....and you get what we have now. What it would it be like if we had 2 or three more sub-division schools in the city that had basketball teams, football teams, etc.... then all these kids would have a place to expand their talents AND get and education at the same time (becoming better people in the mean time).
That's what you don't want....you want to take away the very little that we DO have. Stupid.
you are all morons.
What appears to be lacking in all of this is that UNLV is not some private entity that can do whatever it wants. Are they negotiating with the Governors office? Why the hell are we spending ANY money on "higher education"? Have corporate sponsors pay for everything.
I have followed this football program the last 25 years. It is absolutely horrible! Nobody comes to UNLV to play football. The Rebels have had some good coaches during that time, but have always end up with the recruits nobody else wanted. It isn't going to change with a new stadium. The football program should be disbanded and money used for better purposes.
What a waste of money. The only time people will come to this is when the rodeo is in town. Who goes to the lousy UNLV football games, what maybe 2000 people. Lowest attendance in Mountain West.
It so happens that a few weeks ago I had dinner in a noisy restaurant that was showing ESPN's Heismann Trophy Award Show. The contenders were all profiled.
From what I could tell the guy from Stanford was proudly talking about his Architecture studies. I haven't a clue was his state school competitors were uh, "talking" about. Probably their hopes to someday play in the NFL.
I believe that one of the two Neanderthals was under a cloud of suspicion because his Dad was alleged to have offerred his son's services to the highest bidding college for $150K.
No what's all this talk about college not being corrupted by Big Sports?
Harvard, Yale and the other elites are *private* schools. If they want to burn their $50B endowments on sports that is not my business.
I have to pay higher taxes to support UNLV sports so you can be sure it matters to me, especially since the Unversity of Nevada was sold to a skeptical voting public as a means to train this state's next generation of applied scientists -- at no addiitonal cost -- not to train future inductees at Cooperstown, and certainly not at the high tax levels we're being charged for it.
This may be about UNLV but there is much more to this then UNLV football. Those who claim to be against this project have no idea the impact that Jerry Jones has had on Las Vegas. IF this does not get done within the next 5 years Las Vegas will not only lose the mega boxing matches but it will lose the NFR, the PBR, Monster Jam , concerts, UFC fights and who knows what else to Dallas. Most importantly what most of the whiners seemed to miss is that this is going to be built with private funds.
The Thomas and Mack are only full when the NFR comes!! UNLV game last night drew 11,000. A far cry from 40,000!!