LETTERS: Other arenas negate need for stadium

To the editor:

MGM Resorts and Anschutz Entertainment Group are building a $375 million, 20,000-seat, privately funded arena behind New York-New York, with a planned opening in the spring of 2016 (“AEG could wield clout in Vegas’ ability to land sports teams,” Nov. 24 Review-Journal). And a group headed by former UNLV basketball standout Jackie Robinson is strategizing for a $690 million, 22,000 seat, retractable-roof arena near SLS Las Vegas, projected to open in early 2017.

Enough already. Las Vegas does not need another stadium, as proposed by Cordish Cos. and Findlay Sports &Entertainment. The machinations taken by Cordish-Findlay to fund and develop the downtown soccer stadium — romancing the Las Vegas City Council to approve the deal — appear so sleazy that they border on obscene. If ever approved and implemented, this deal will drain funds that are better used for supporting community educational needs, essential public services, and infrastructure maintenance and improvements.

Anyone can see that the soccer stadium proposal is so far out of touch with reality that approval by our city council would be a travesty and an insult to the needs of the community. The MGM-AEG arena and Mr. Robinson’s venue will be in place long before the soccer stadium — no matter how its funded, — could be operable. Moreover, there would be no way for it to compete for events absorbed by the other two facilities.

The Cordish-Findlay venue is a lose-lose proposition. It will be a forever financial disaster and a money pit to end all money pits. If the city council so cherishes bringing a major league franchise to the region, then it should help MGM-AEG in pursuing such a franchise. Short of that, the only way the city council can regain the community’s faith is by putting the Cordish-Findlay deal to rest.

JOHN R. RUBINO

LAS VEGAS