Las Vegas Sands plans $1 billion domed stadium in Vegas

Saturday 30th of January 2016

Casino operator Las Vegas Sands Corp is proposing a $1 billion stadium on 42 acres of land near the University of Nevada Las Vegas. The 65,000 seat stadium would be designed to house the UNLV football team, and potentially an NFL team, according to local media.

Andy Abboud, LV Sands’ senior VP of government relations and community development said Las Vegas needs a modern stadium with at least 65,000 seats to drive additional tourism to Southern Nevada, according to Las Vegas Journal.

Mark Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders, is scheduled to meet with Las Vegas Sands Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson, and team representatives are expected to tour the site on Feb. 5.

Abboud said Las Vegas Sands has had a number of conversations with officials from other NFL teams and would be moving ahead with the stadium with or without an NFL team.

“We see a lot more opportunities — conference championships, bowl games, NFL exhibition football, boxing, soccer, neutral site games, and music festivals. There is an entire segment out there."

The project would be a "public-private partnership", according to Abboud, where Las Vegas Sands or the Adelson family would contribute an unspecified large portion of the financing.

Abboud said Las Vegas Sands may seek legislative approval for diversion of hotel room tax revenues that now support the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to the project. The company plans to present its idea in February or March to the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee, which is tasked with finding ways to further grow the tourism economy.

The project is still in concept stage.

Bricks & Mortar Stadium University of Nevada Las Vegas Raiders NFL