Las Vegas Stadium Site Options Sought

Sat, Jul 2, 2016

Organizers behind the push to build a 65,000-seat domed stadium in Las Vegas for an eventual home site of the NFL Oakland Raiders have narrowed their site options to four and likely will narrow it to two, soon, a local official says. Two sites are located on the Las Vegas Strip, while another is located next to the UNLV campus near McCarran International Airport, and the fourth at Cashman Field (l.) near Downtown Las Vegas.

The triumvirate of Las Vegas Sands, Majestic Realty, and Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis need at least two potential stadium sites soon, a local official says.

Clark County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak also is a member of the ad-hoc Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee and says the three principals need to narrow their potential stadium site options, which currently stand at four.

Those locations are a 42-acre parcel owned by UNLV and located on the north side of the Las Vegas Strip and across from McCarran International Airport.

A recently study shows a stadium is feasible, so long as height restrictions are adhered to on the property’s western end. It also would put a football stadium on the UNLV campus, while being situated only about a mile east of the Las Vegas Strip.

The site’s proximity to the airport and potential traffic congestion, however, work against that location.

Another possible site is the former Riviera Casino, which the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is in the process of leveling to make way for an expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Las Vegas Sands Chairman Sheldon Adelson suggested a partnership with the LVCVA might get a multi-purpose venue built on the site. LVCVA President and CEO Rossi Ralenkotter said a partnership might work.

Another proposed site is the Rock in Rio festival grounds owned by MGM Resorts International and located near the intersection of Sahara Avenue and the Las Vegas Strip.

That parcel is located close to the former Riviera casino site, and both would pose potential traffic congestion issues.

A fourth site candidate is Cashman Field, where the Minor League Baseball Las Vegas 51s currently play. The baseball team is planning a move to a new stadium in Summerlin.

That leaves ample room for a stadium and relatively easy access to nearby freeways, which has undergone many significant improvements in recent years.

The site, though, would be more beneficial for Downtown gaming operators than those located on the Las Vegas Strip, and that might not sit well with Adelson.

With potential sites narrowed to four, local officials anticipate a proposed site being selected by fall.