Anthony Curtis’ nationally syndicated weekly column.
February 23, 2011
Preliminary plans for a 40,000-seat domed football stadium to be built on the UNLV campus have been submitted to Las Vegas officials. In typical Las Vegas style, it wouldn’t be just a sports stadium, but rather a complete entertainment complex, with more than a half-million square feet of restaurant and retail space. The man behind the proposal is Ed Roski, who also owns Silverton and is part owner of the L.A. Lakers. The stadium is currently competing with a $1.5 billion three-venue plan (a basketball and hockey arena and partially enclosed baseball and football stadiums) that’s targeting a location downtown. A total of 14 stadiums have now been proposed for Las Vegas in the past 15 years. Meanwhile, the UNLV Rebels continue to play their games at Sam Boyd Stadium, nearly 10 miles east of the Strip.
New Steakhouse: Ron’s Steakhouse has opened at Arizona Charlie’s Decatur. It’s the first upscale-dining restaurant at the westside casino since the closing of the Yukon Grille in 2006.
New Club: Las Vegas’ newest nightclub, Chateau, debuts at Paris on March 5.
Seniors Days: Seniors age 50+ can get 50%-off buffets, players club multipliers, and other perks in Coast Casinos’ “Young at Heart” program. Seniors days are Mondays at Gold Coast, Tuesdays at Orleans, Tuesdays and Thursdays at Suncoast, and Thursdays at Sam’s Town.
Question: Can you fill us in on the status of the Monorail? Will it ever be expanded?
Answer: It’s difficult to consider expansion when you’re fighting for survival—the Las Vegas Monorail is currently in bankruptcy and the prospects don’t look good. The number of passengers carried by the Monorail fell by 13% in 2010 to 5.2 million, which is roughly half the number from 2005, the Monorail’s first full year in service. Advertising revenue amounted to a paltry $190,000, an 82% drop from $2.3 million as recently as 2007.
For more information about current Las Vegas shows, buffets, coupons, and good deals, go to www.LasVegasAdvisor.com.
