Harrah's to build sports arena behind Ballys

[CardSharpCook]

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The location is gonna suck for locals. Plus that means major traffic on Koval Ave during events... I'm not even a local and I'm worried. Although, you'd expect a lot of foot traffic.

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This is, in my view the biggest problem for any pro franchise in Vegas. The market is only 1 million strong. That's Henderson/NLV/LV. Draw a 100 mile radius around LV and you might be up to 1.1 million. The key for any pro franchise will be tourists. In that regard it is a great draw for the team and the city. It is easy to imagine a sports fan finding out his team is playing LV some weekend and decide, "why not take a weekend trip to LV AND watch the game?" But how do you appeal to both locals and tourists? Tourists can have a hard time leaving the strip, and locals have a hard time getting to the strip. 7:30 and 8:00 start times might do it Sunday-Thursday, but the strip is ALWAYS a mess friday and Saturday.

[mhcmarty]

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(The Mayor's plan is to redevelop the downtown arts district across from my home).

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Where is the Arts District? Is this between downtown and the Strat with Main St. running through it? I see that more than a few condo projects are slated for the arts dist.

[pig4bill]

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Vegas seems like a good place to have a basketball team imo...reminds me of LA.

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You mean if they ever won, they could have riots and torch cars in the streets?

[BigBuffet]

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They believe that if they build it a NBA franchise will come.

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I hope Vegas never gets an NBA team.

All-Star weekend was a nightmare for those who don't wear clocks around our necks and listen to rap...

[*TT*]

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[ QUOTE ]
(The Mayor's plan is to redevelop the downtown arts district across from my home).

[/ QUOTE ]

Where is the Arts District? Is this between downtown and the Strat with Main St. running through it? I see that more than a few condo projects are slated for the arts dist.

[/ QUOTE ]
Most of those projects were canceled. Its the edge of Charleston between Main and LVB which creates a multi-block triagle.

[soah]

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[ QUOTE ]
The location is gonna suck for locals. Plus that means major traffic on Koval Ave during events... I'm not even a local and I'm worried. Although, you'd expect a lot of foot traffic.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is, in my view the biggest problem for any pro franchise in Vegas. The market is only 1 million strong. That's Henderson/NLV/LV. Draw a 100 mile radius around LV and you might be up to 1.1 million. The key for any pro franchise will be tourists. In that regard it is a great draw for the team and the city. It is easy to imagine a sports fan finding out his team is playing LV some weekend and decide, "why not take a weekend trip to LV AND watch the game?" But how do you appeal to both locals and tourists? Tourists can have a hard time leaving the strip, and locals have a hard time getting to the strip. 7:30 and 8:00 start times might do it Sunday-Thursday, but the strip is ALWAYS a mess friday and Saturday.

[/ QUOTE ]

The population of Clark County is almost 2 million...

But yeah, traffic would be horrible. How are you supposed to get there? Exit from I-15 and then cross the strip? Take surface streets in from the east? What a mess.

[Cactus Jack]

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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
(The Mayor's plan is to redevelop the downtown arts district across from my home).

[/ QUOTE ]

Where is the Arts District? Is this between downtown and the Strat with Main St. running through it? I see that more than a few condo projects are slated for the arts dist.

[/ QUOTE ]
Most of those projects were canceled. Its the edge of Charleston between Main and LVB which creates a multi-block triagle.

[/ QUOTE ]

The Arts District is north of Charleston, while the proposed arena/casino/clusterfk is south of Charleston, in an area populated by furniture stores and muffler shops. It could use a new purpose.

Just the thought of the traffic situation around the Ballys site makes me want to throw up. There is very, very little they can do to improve it as there is not much room on either side. I hope they don't crush Ellis Island. lol

[*TT*]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
(The Mayor's plan is to redevelop the downtown arts district across from my home).

[/ QUOTE ]

Where is the Arts District? Is this between downtown and the Strat with Main St. running through it? I see that more than a few condo projects are slated for the arts dist.

[/ QUOTE ]
Most of those projects were canceled. Its the edge of Charleston between Main and LVB which creates a multi-block triagle.

[/ QUOTE ]

The Arts District is north of Charleston, while the proposed arena/casino/clusterfk is south of Charleston, in an area populated by furniture stores and muffler shops. It could use a new purpose.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually that area with muffler shops and used furniture stores IS the arts district, which also extends north of Charleston (which is where First Friday is held). For all intents the arts district concept was a failure. For those who don't live here, the Gamblers General Store is in the arts district.

This map shows the proposed area for the stadium, its the space to the right of PULSE (I have no idea what PULSE will be used for). My understanding is that the Hue Lofts project has been canceled, I have never seen anything for the Eighty on 4th project; I don't know if it ever got off the drawing bard stages.

[CardSharpCook]

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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The location is gonna suck for locals. Plus that means major traffic on Koval Ave during events... I'm not even a local and I'm worried. Although, you'd expect a lot of foot traffic.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is, in my view the biggest problem for any pro franchise in Vegas. The market is only 1 million strong. That's Henderson/NLV/LV. Draw a 100 mile radius around LV and you might be up to 1.1 million. The key for any pro franchise will be tourists. In that regard it is a great draw for the team and the city. It is easy to imagine a sports fan finding out his team is playing LV some weekend and decide, "why not take a weekend trip to LV AND watch the game?" But how do you appeal to both locals and tourists? Tourists can have a hard time leaving the strip, and locals have a hard time getting to the strip. 7:30 and 8:00 start times might do it Sunday-Thursday, but the strip is ALWAYS a mess friday and Saturday.

[/ QUOTE ]

The population of Clark County is almost 2 million...

But yeah, traffic would be horrible. How are you supposed to get there? Exit from I-15 and then cross the strip? Take surface streets in from the east? What a mess.

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah, just figured this out myself. Apparently there is a huge population in "unincorporated Las Vegas".

[MicroBob]

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But yeah, traffic would be horrible. How are you supposed to get there? Exit from I-15 and then cross the strip? Take surface streets in from the east? What a mess.

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Obviously LV is a bit different than other cities because of the touristy and high-traffic nature and crazyness that is the strip.
But there aren't exactly a shortage of arenas and stadiums that are along the lines of "how the hell are you supposed to get there?"

Have traffic officers and swing the cars in back and forth or whatever.
Use shuttles.
I've been to other major-league stadiums and arenas that have been further away from the interstate and have you crawling your way through several slow neighborhoods of one light after another.

Traffic is bad at sports-events. It's kind of a fact of life.

I reiterate though that perhaps I don't understand the dynamic of crappy LV traffic compared to other cities.