Las Vegas shooting site being converted to community center, parking lot

MGM Resorts International is converting the Las Vegas Village and Route 91 Harvest music festival site into parking for Las Vegas Raiders and UNLV Rebel football games and other events at Allegiant Stadium, and also a community and athletic center.

The 15-acre parcel on the Las Vegas Strip is to be split. The north end of the property for the athletic center and community gathering point. The south end for parking. MGM Resorts issued a statement Tuesday afternoon disclosing these plans. Originally envisioned as a festival venue, the parcel was site of the shootings during the final night of Route 91 on Oct. 1, 2017.

The company’s statement, issued Tuesday afternoon:

“We know that for many, the Village property will forever be linked to the tragic loss of life that took place there on October 1st. We will never forget the victims, and all of those impacted by that evening. As the second anniversary nears, we remain committed to being part of the community effort to continue healing and moving forward.

“In this spirit, MGM Resorts plans to build a community and athletic center on the north end of the property, which will be home to sporting events and community gatherings. We hope one day it will host high school basketball tournaments, indoor soccer for kids and provide a place for the Aces to practice and engage with the community to inspire the next generation of female athletes.

“It was important to us that the long-term use of the property include the community in some way. We also plan to create a space on the property to remember the victims of the tragedy.

“In the near term, while these plans are underway, the property will revert back from festival grounds to a parking area and will serve as parking during games and concerts taking place at Allegiant Stadium. Over the coming weeks and months, there will be construction activity near the property to ensure the safety of pedestrians crossing the street toward the stadium.

“We will share plans for the community and athletic center as they advance. We will also support the future community effort around a permanent, public memorial when that process begins.”

The space has sat unused since the morning after the shootings. Route 91 officials have said they plan to return the festival to Las Vegas, with Las Vegas Festival Grounds on the southwest corner of Sahara Avenue and the Strip as the likely venue.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts.Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.