Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

DELIVERING A PITCH: Little help sought for stadium

Shapiro: Moving Expos to valley won't raise taxes

By MARK ANDERSON
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Mike Shapiro, part of a group trying to bring the Montreal Expos to Las Vegas, said Tuesday no new taxes would be raised to pay for a planned $420 million stadium. Photo by K.M. Cannon.

One of the principals involved in the effort to bring major league baseball to Las Vegas was in town Tuesday, apparently looking for little financial help from locals.

Mike Shapiro said no new taxes would be raised to pay for the proposed $420 million, 40,000-seat stadium near the Strip that would open in 2007 if the Montreal Expos are relocated to Las Vegas.

Shapiro, a consultant for Centerfield Management Group, said the only public funds would be for infrastructure changes to the area, "economic incentives" in the form of some sort of tax break and a return on the additional tax revenue that would be generated.

"We're not asking the community for tax dollars," Shapiro said during an hour-long interview. "It's the right thing to do. That's what's right for the community."

Shapiro said the retractable-roof stadium would be for more than just baseball. It also would be constructed to house other sporting events such as football, basketball and hockey. Also, it could be used for concerts and conventions.

Natural grass would be placed on plates that could be removed, and the seats could be shifted.

"We can drive significant revenues from events other than baseball that will help support the debt structure on the stadium and can help support the operational expenses so that there is less burden on the team," Shapiro said. "Other stadiums that have been privately financed have suffered because they've had to tap too much into the teams' revenues to support the debt structure of the stadium."

Shapiro also said he would expect to bring in plenty of revenue by selling 100 luxury suites and 7,000 "premium seats."

As for the general attendance, he said studies showed the stadium could draw 2.3 million fans a year, with 35 percent to 45 percent made up of tourists.

"People cite 1.6 million (as the population)," Shapiro said. "We made the case (to baseball) that market size had to be understood in a vastly different light, that this really wasn't, in fact, a small market. It had all the attributes, in fact, of a midsize market and shortly may have the attributes of a large market. While it may be 1.6 today, it's likely to be 2 million by the time the stadium would open, and shortly thereafter 3 million.

"On top of all of that, you have to factor in the visitor base. It is an axiom for major professional sports that visitors to cities don't generally attend games. But one of the unique attributes of those 36 million people -- which is going to be 40 million people by the time the ballpark opens -- are (they are) coming to Las Vegas to be entertained. Baseball would be well-attended out of that visitor base. There are a number of studies that sustain that point."

Shapiro has been the primary public voice behind the movement to attract the Expos, but he is not the only one involved.

Others include investment banker Peter Hoffman, attorney Mike Alonso, tax expert Jeremy Aguero, attorney Joe Leccese, sports marketing expert Mark Bingham, stadium development expert Don Webb, public relations specialist Duffy Jennings, Centerfield Management partner Eric Blatt and investor Robert Blumenfeld.

Also, stadium-design company HOK Sport and Las Vegas-based public relations firm Brown & Partners are involved.

They also contributed to a proposal sent to baseball May 14. A decision could occur next month on whether to send the Expos to Las Vegas; Washington; Northern Virginia; Norfolk, Va.; Portland, Ore.; or Monterrey, Mexico.

"I think we proved the case to baseball," Shapiro said. "I think they grasped and understood this market ... is capable of successfully sustaining a major league franchise."