Las Vegas’ Bill Foley considers training site options as NHL ponders franchise

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Bill Foley is not getting his NHL team today. But the billionaire businessman is staying busy making preparations for when and if the day comes that the league decides to put a team in Las Vegas.

The Board of Governors is meeting Monday and Tuesday at the Inn at Spanish Bay and high up on the agenda is the ongoing discussion of whether or not the NHL should grow from 30 to 31 or 32 teams or should it maintain the status quo.

Foley and a group from Quebec City have submitted applications for expansion franchises and have already put down deposits of $10 million each, $2 million of which is non-refundable. The expected fee if the NHL decides to go forward with expansion, is $500 million and the teams would begin play in 2017-18.

"It's about being patient an let the process play itself out," Foley said Saturday from Las Vegas. "We've provided the (executive) committee with some additional information and we remain confident in our bid. It's watchful waiting right now."

Foley will not be attending the NHL meetings. And while the billionaire businessman waits for an answer, Foley is not sitting idly by. He continues to pursue plans to build a practice facility and he said he is close to having a site chosen. Foley is looking at at least two different sites along Interstate 215, one near South Durango Drive and Warm Springs Road, the other near Jones Boulevard. He has been working with Clark County to get everything in order to approve his request for proposal on the land to purchase for the training site for the proposed NHL team.

"We've had several meetings the last couple of months and we've found a couple of parcels that would work," Clark County commissioner Steve Sisolak said, "But no decision has been made yet."

Foley said he hopes to gain approval from the county in January and begin construction in June. He has a vision for what the facility would be as he said it would be similar to the new Chicago Blackhawks practice facility that will break ground next month.

The Blackhawks' facility will be 125,000 square feet and house two NHL-sized 200-by-85 feet ice sheets, sports medicine and strength and conditioning areas, locker rooms and meeting rooms. It will also be used to grow youth hockey in the Chicagoland area. The cost, which will be $50 million, is being paid for by the team.

Sisolak said he wasn't sure what the cost would ultimately be for a similar facility in Las Vegas. He has heard numbers ranging from $30 million to $80 million.

"We're working with Bill and his people and we want to be ready when and if Bill gets the team," Sisolak said. "I sent a letter to (NHL commissioner) Gary Bettman about our plans to help work with Bill on a practice facility and he was very complimentary. However, we have to wait and see what the league does. But I will do whatever I can to help bring a hockey team to Clark County."

Foley said he has enjoyed working with Sisolak and the county.

"They've been great," Foley said of working with the county commission. "That's part of why we're anxious to get going. We're all-in when it comes to supporting the (Las Vegas) community.

"Whenever you deal with government, it's an elongated process. I'm used to California and this is nothing like California."

Foley is also staying in close contact with MGM officials on the new arena which is heading into its final phases of construction for an April 16 opening. The $375 million arena, which will seat 17,500 for hockey, already has the floor down, the ice-making equipment in place and the locker room for Foley's proposed team is under construction.

"We were there a week ago and it looks amazing," he said of the proposed team's home. "Everytime I go inside, it looks totally different than the time before. It's very exciting."

As for the nearly 14,000 fans who have put down deposits on season tickets or who have purchased suites or club seating, Foley said they just need to remain patient.

"There's no hard timeline for this," he said of expansion. "I think we should know something definitive within the next 30 to 60 days.

"We've had a few people ask for their money back but we're still accepting deposits. The other day, we had four people cancel and eight people put down deposits, so that was a positive."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj