Zappos got the kindest cut-rate in bid for City Hall
Mayor Oscar Goodman enjoyed a nice send-off Wednesday, but Zappos received the biggest gift of all when the City Council voted to approve the sale of City Hall for just $18 million.
That's $7 million cheaper than the $25 million price the parties tentatively agreed to in 2010. All things considered, it's probably a good thing the city took the deal.
At this rate, by 2012, the city would be paying Zappos to take City Hall and a couple parking garages off its hands.
Zappos representatives made it clear to city officials that they were looking for an even bigger break on the building, which eventually will employ more than 1,000 workers for the online shoe and accessories giant. The pitch was simple enough: no discount, no deal.
While Mayor Goodman has been popular, no city official could fade the onerous prospect of having two City Halls.
If the shoes and handbags gig doesn't work out, I think the Zappos crowd might have a big future in strong-arm business tactics.
As companies are always on the lookout for their next winning slogan, I'll provide this one for Zappos for even less than it will spend on City Hall: "If you think our shoes are a bargain, you should see what we paid for this building."
FATHER LOUIE: At Franciscan priest Louis Vitale's 79th birthday recently in San Francisco, approximately 200 people gathered to celebrate the incredible life of the peace activist. Vitale, the former Las Vegan who in recent years has spent a substantial amount of time in prison for peaceful trespass at places ranging from the Nevada Test Site to the School of the Americas, received a warm greeting at his reception from Daniel Ellsberg, the former RAND Corporation military analyst who released the Pentagon Papers 40 years ago and helped change the course of the Vietnam War.
HONOR ROLL: Seniors are graduating from high schools across the Las Vegas Valley. Each ceremony holds great meaning for the graduates and their loved ones. At The Orleans, I watched Las Vegas Academy students light up the arena with witty and poignant speeches, dance, music and song.
Meanwhile, the folks at Candlelighters of Southern Nevada know a few graduating seniors who deserve special mention for their perseverance in fighting cancer. They are: Aurora Roach, Melanie Castillo, Jenny Umana and Rosio Jimenez.
THE NIGHTCAP: Martini Mayor Goodman and his mild-mannered sidekick Mayor Pro-tem Gary Reese made one final toast to their tenures at City Hall on Wednesday night under the canopy at the Fremont Street Experience. It's hard to imagine a more unlikely pair of political allies, but the combination appeared to work well. Every vaudevillian needs a straight man, right?
In a dozen years, Goodman helped turn downtown from a bedraggled afterthought to a place where the party never ends. "Where Las Vegas began and the party never ends" gets my vote for downtown's next great slogan.
ON THE BOULEVARD: Huntington Press of Las Vegas continues to increase its reputation as a player in the gambling book publishing world. Two of its latest titles include "The Raiser's Edge: Tournament Poker Strategy for Today's Aggressive Game" by Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier with Lee Nelson, Tysen Streib, and Tony Dunst. HP is also bringing out poker star Annie Duke's latest, "Decide to Play Great Poker" with John Vorhaus.
BOULEVARD II: With the possible exception of the doorman at Yucca Mountain, Mark Schiffman might have the toughest job in Nevada. He is the PR director for the Nevada Collectors Association, which represents bill collection agencies. Greg Brower, a Republican candidate for Congressional District 2, appears to be far outpacing the competition in the online campaign. It's a smart, cost-effective move as voters increasingly look at candidates' "status" on the Internet for clues about their campaign competence.
Have an item for Bard of the Boulevard? Email comments and contributions to Smith@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0295. He also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/Smith.
