LAS VEGAS - UNLV Football Stadium (40,000)

[dfwabel]

Originally Posted by carnifex2005

Here's another proposed Las Vegas stadium project. This one is a proposed arena, baseball park and stadium all on the same plot of land behind Mandalay Bay.

The only reason these renderings were released is because the Las Vegas 51s were recently sold to the "developer" of this project, Chris Milam.

Last July, Milam was the guy who said that an NBA team was under contract to relocate to Las Vegas if a new arena was built, preferably on a plot of land he owned.

“We have an NBA team under contract, (but the deal will take effect only) if other pieces of the puzzle fall into place: One of those pieces will be that a building is approved.”- Las Vegas Sun July 14, 2010

He also says that the $2B will be privately financed. With hotel projects halted and Las Vegas' jobless rate near 15%, this will not even have a groundbreaking ceremony.

http://www.fieldofschemes.com/news/a...per_propo.html

[will101]

Originally Posted by dfwabel

The only reason these renderings were released is because the Las Vegas 51s were recently sold to the "developer" of this project, Chris Milam.

Last July, Milam was the guy who said that an NBA team was under contract to relocate to Las Vegas if a new arena was built, preferably on a plot of land he owned.

“We have an NBA team under contract, (but the deal will take effect only) if other pieces of the puzzle fall into place: One of those pieces will be that a building is approved.”- Las Vegas Sun July 14, 2010

He also says that the $2B will be privately financed. With hotel projects halted and Las Vegas' jobless rate near 15%, this will not even have a groundbreaking ceremony.

http://www.fieldofschemes.com/news/a...per_propo.html

Plus the fact that Las Vegas is looking at water rationing in the future.

[blacktrojan3921]

Originally Posted by will101

This is a huge, complicated and expensive looking project. And they already waffled when asked for a cost, saying that it is "far too early" to put on a price tag. To me that is male cow droppings.

Well it is Vegas; shouldn't come as a surprise

[ManilaBoy45]

So are any of these stadium plans will actually become a 'REALITY' or just a 'DREAM'...

[Darloeye]

I am going to say just a Dream

[elcapitan]

Developers: A UNLV stadium could be built without raising taxes

By Joe Schoenmann
Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011 | 2 a.m.
Vegas INC

The public-private partners behind a proposed on-campus stadium at UNLV say they are developing a plan to build it without raising taxes.

Since the Legislature this year rejected a special tax district to fund the $2 billion stadium/dormitory/retail project, university administrators and Majestic Realty Co. have been working on a financial formula and other changes to allow the project to move forward.

Craig Cavileer, president of Silverton resort and Majestic’s representative on the project, said one idea is for UNLV to issue but not underwrite bonds to pay for construction, allowing the university to avoid liability should the project fail and investors sue. Another idea is for Majestic to fund the project.

Regardless of the source of financing, the stadium would be built on public land — west of the Thomas & Mack Center on space now used for parking — eliminating the need to pay hefty property taxes and seek a special state exemption from the tax.

Majestic Realty would lease the land from UNLV, and the two entities would split the profits 50-50, Cavileer said.

Changes to the project include:

• Building a 60,000-seat open-air stadium instead of a 40,000-seat domed stadium;

• Renovating the Thomas & Mack Center and building a promenade of retail establishments between the basketball arena and the stadium.

• Constructing 3,000 to 5,000 units of student housing.

More: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011...t-without-rai/

[desertpunk]

UNLV Regents Consider 60,000 Seat On Campus Stadium Plans

The expected approval this coming week of an agreement between UNLV and private developers will end 15 months of preliminary planning and open the door for the inking of hard-and-fast plans for a campus project that includes 4,000 living units and and a 60,000-seat stadium.

Called “UNLV Now,” the 150-acre project also will include a retail area known as a student village. If the university system’s Board of Regents approves an exclusive negotiating agreement between UNLV and Majestic Realty Co., the next step will be returning in November for approval of a new campus master plan. Then, if the Legislature quickly approves a tax-incremental financing district for the project early in its 2013 session, Craig Cavileer said construction likely will begin in 2013.

Cavileer, Silverton resort president and Majestic’s project representative, said the project was “pivotal” for the evolution of the university, which is slightly more than 50 years old. “We’re really changing things for the next 100 years,” Cavileer said. When the project is completed, UNLV President Neal Smatresk said, it will be “the most exciting college facility ever built in the United States.” For the campus, he added, “this is the transformational step we need.”

University overseers will get the chance to approve a negotiating agreement Friday. If approved, it will provide more assurance to Majestic that the university is serious, that it wants this project done. Approval will allow Majestic to spend what is estimated to be millions more working on details of the project — timelines, costs, logistics.

Broad details about the project have changed over 15 months. Cavileer said the most current vision is for the 1.1 million-square-foot stadium/event center to have 52,000 permanent seats but to be expandable to 60,000. UNLV football games would be played there but Rebel basketball games still would be at the Thomas & Mack Center, which would be overhauled and renovated as part of the project. Last year, the Sun reported the project’s estimated cost at $2 billion. Cavileer would not offer an estimate but said the project would be less expensive than any of the Strip’s newer casinos.

The event center would take about 30 months to complete. Whether it would be built concurrently with the living units and student village are details Cavileer said still needed to be solidified. The temperature-controlled, covered event center, which would be kept at 70 degrees, would qualify Las Vegas for large events that it couldn’t attract previously, including major league soccer, the NCAA’s basketball Final Four, political conventions, perhaps multiple college football bowl games, even NFL preseason games.

[...]

http://www.mwcconnection.com/2011/2/...rict-on-campus

[Pelt]

I know it's just an early development on the renders, but all I see are horrible sightlines and obstructed views, with little or no room to accommodate concourses for the upper decks.

[Benn]

I doubt its indicative of space beyond the seating bowl, just looks like they are trying to do larger Siatama Super Arena.

[KingmanIII]

$800 mil, minimum.

[blacktrojan3921]

I think this may actually be successful; if the Las Vegas Locomotives were to play in the satdium as well. Cause let's face it with Las Vegas's gambling industry, this is probably the best chance of having professional football, even though many consider the UFL to be the development league for the NFL.

[GunnerJacket]

The NFL won't ever go there, and odds are neither will the NBA for all sorts of fears about ties with the gambling industry. NFL execs have already affirmed this and Stern spoke about the concern when the NBA had an all-star event there some years ago. If there was even a chance then you'd already have the venue you're talking about.

That being said I do think they could comfortably design a stadium that seats about 40k regularly but can expand to 50k for special events. At that point you could put in for 3 special college games* and seek to share the NFL All-Pro game with Hawaii.

* A Kick-off classic like Atlanta hosts to start the year, the PAC championship game and a bowl game.

Could probably land a few other games, too, like one-off BYU neutral site games, maybe a second bowl game or AA championship game.

[dfwabel]

Originally Posted by blacktrojan3921

I think this may actually be successful; if the Las Vegas Locomotives were to play in the satdium as well. Cause let's face it with Las Vegas's gambling industry, this is probably the best chance of having professional football, even though many consider the UFL to be the development league for the NFL.

The UFL played a VERY condensed schedule in 2011, so the ability for them staying afloat during and construction process is limited, very limited.

[goldy21]

Update...

http://www.8newsnow.com/story/186592...y-move-forward

LAS VEGAS -- Touchdowns for the Rebel football team could soon be coming indoors when playing at home. Plans for a fixed roof stadium on the northwest part to campus are close to moving forward.

Plans for a major event center at UNLV include an on-campus indoor stadium, along with dorms and renovations at the Thomas and Mack Center. The decision on whether the plan will move forward could be decided on Friday.

The 52,000 seat project will be built near the baseball field and the tennis complex on campus. Those behind the mega-project say it is long overdue, and students agree...

[vadin]

Wow!!!! It's expected to cost up to $2 BILLION.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012...oking-reality/

[carnifex2005]

Originally Posted by vadin

Wow!!!! It's expected to cost up to $2 BILLION.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012...oking-reality/

This is quickly sounding like one of the stupidest stadium projects ever.

[rantanamo]

Vegas lacks a large stadium type venue. If any place can use a large stadium to host a variety of events, its Vegas.

[BaylorGuy314]

Personal opinion, but for $2B, I think they'd be far better off building a complex of 2-3 stadia on a central site connected by retail than to create this monstrosity.

Don't get me wrong, it would be a unique project but it's just not practical. The Cowboys Stadium, which is over the top in nearly every way, would cost roughly $1.3b to build today. And that's far more than Vegas needs. A very attractive, modern, and expandable facility that could be used by UNLV and for other football/soccer/etc events could probably be built at half that cost. A lot of the new collegiate stadiums are in the $150-400mm range.

A state of the art NBA basketball arena runs about $400-500mm today and a quality one (like Louisville's YUM Center) can be built for half that.

All told, for half the price of this...thing...you could build a high quality, modern football stadium AND a high quality, modern NBA-quality stadium AND connecting them all in an attractive urban setting. And these stadiums would be better suited for their purpose.

[rantanamo]

Originally Posted by BaylorGuy314

Personal opinion, but for $2B, I think they'd be far better off building a complex of 2-3 stadia on a central site connected by retail than to create this monstrosity.

Don't get me wrong, it would be a unique project but it's just not practical. The Cowboys Stadium, which is over the top in nearly every way, would cost roughly $1.3b to build today. And that's far more than Vegas needs. A very attractive, modern, and expandable facility that could be used by UNLV and for other football/soccer/etc events could probably be built at half that cost. A lot of the new collegiate stadiums are in the $150-400mm range.

A state of the art NBA basketball arena runs about $400-500mm today and a quality one (like Louisville's YUM Center) can be built for half that.

All told, for half the price of this...thing...you could build a high quality, modern football stadium AND a high quality, modern NBA-quality stadium AND connecting them all in an attractive urban setting. And these stadiums would be better suited for their purpose.

That's not Texas. $2b might not get you Cowboys Stadium in Vegas. They could use a Cowboys Stadium just with the huge amount of convention business they get, which is why you are seeing all of these crazy proposals.

[BaylorGuy314]

Originally Posted by rantanamo

That's not Texas. $2b might not get you Cowboys Stadium in Vegas. They could use a Cowboys Stadium just with the huge amount of convention business they get, which is why you are seeing all of these crazy proposals.

Perhaps. I still think they are way overestimating it's use. They do get a TON of convention business but you don't need a Cowboys Stadium-like facility for that. You need an awesome convention center for that. (Which they have.)

San Antonio is a prime example of why you don't approach it the way Vegas is right now.

When San Antonio built the 65,000 seat Alamodome in 1993, the idea was to provide a basketball venue for the San Antonio Spurs (NBA), to lure a NFL team, and to host conventions.

It failed miserably in it's goals.

A mere 7 years after it was built, the Spurs broke ground on a basketball-specific facility (that would cost more than the Alamodome had cost) because the Alamodome provided poor sightlines for basketball and the stadium was simply too "cavernous" for that sport.

By the time San Antonio was seriously being considered for an NFL franchise the Alamodome was out of date and either a new stadium would have to be built or an extensive top to bottom renovation would have to be done that would be extremely costly.

And on the convention center side? Fifteen years after the Alamodome was complete, the San Antonio Convention Center (which is less than half a mile from the stadium site) was expanded to 1.3 million square feet.

So, to recap the original design purposes for the Alamodome:

1. As a NBA stadium- failed
2. As a NFL stadium- failed
3. As a convention center- failed

It does host collegiate football games, concerts, and the like so it hasn't been a total loss but it's failed to meet all of it's original goals.

Likewise, Las Vegas is looking to this proposal to provide a space for an NBA franchise, an NFL stadium, UNLV's stadium, concerts, etc.

It may be an cool project but history says that it will fail in becoming an NBA or NFL stadium and it will be used less for conventions because that's not what it was designed to do. I'm sure it will host a slew of concerts, wrestling, boxing, etc. And it will also host UNLV football and perhaps some basketball games.

But you don't need a $2B facility to host a bunch of concerts, boxing matches, and UNLV football games. You could build several great facilities for much less that would accomplish those goals and provide a better experience.