Lawmakers say funding key for UNLV stadium

An on-campus football stadium at UNLV doesn't appear to be a tough sell to lawmakers - at least in principle.

The idea gets a warm response from both incumbent legislators and their challengers in the upcoming election. But most agree the concept is just half the battle.

"The bottom line is in the details," said Assemblywoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick, D-North Las Vegas.

Those details include a tax-increment financing plan that must be approved by the Legislature. That is critical for the UNLV Now project, which envisions the 60,000-seat stadium as the centerpiece of a campus transformation.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal attempted to contact all of the candidates for state Senate and Assembly from the two major parties on the stadium issue.

Republicans and Democrats, incumbents and challengers seemed to agree: They would support the plan if the financing plan is solid.

Take the candidates for state Senate District 7, which borders the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

David Parks, the Democratic incumbent, said he initially was concerned with the proposal's impact on the Thomas & Mack Center and on UNLV's budget. "Based on what I know, I fully support the plan," he said. "I expect the university to lobby the 2013 Legislature for approval of the project employing some kind of tax-increment financing."

His Republican challenger, Trish Marsh, said, "Personally I do believe it would be a terrific extension to the UNLV campus - providing it does not raise District 7 resident taxes or interfere with the single family homes within the surrounding neighborhood."

Explaining the financial details will be important for the project's backers, including developer Majestic Realty. They go before the Board of Regents in late November and will do the same with the newly elected Legislature next year.

Last year, the UNLV Now proposal was part of a bill that included two other arena proposals. It didn't make it out of the Assembly Taxation Committee, one of two key committees led by Kirkpatrick, who is running unopposed for re-election.

This time, they revised their plan so that it would have a better chance of succeeding in the Legislature. Kirkpatrick said even that plan probably will be tweaked by the Legislature.

Stadium backers also tried to push their bill too late in the last session, she explained.

The stadium proponents also started their lobbying efforts early with informal talks with state Senate and Assembly members and candidates.

Some candidates said they weren't familiar with the proposed project or only knew what they have read or heard through the media.

"All I can say is an on-campus stadium would be a vast improvement from driving out to Sam Boyd and parking in the dirt. As a Rebels fan, I would love to see a better quality facility that is closer to the students and fans," said Clark Harrington, the GOP candidate in Assembly District 34.

"Supporting or opposing it would all come down to a question of funding. I wouldn't support it if it became a big liability for the taxpayers. Some stadiums in other cities have been (built) with public funds and provided much less in terms of public benefit than were promised."

Those same concerns make candidates of both parties cautious.

"I hope we can work out an agreeable situation, which is more of a self-funding tax district," said Assemblyman Lynn Stewart, R-Henderson. "There's no money right now to put public funds into it. It would be great for the university to put it on campus. It would make it a more traditional campus like other major campuses."

Assemblyman Elliot Anderson, D-Las Vegas, said, "Building a stadium is a huge endeavor, and I will not commit until we have time to fully consider the ramifications and potential liabilities to the state. Additionally, I want to ensure any potential stadium and corollary campus expansion will help move UNLV forward on an academic level."

Still, some are enthusiastic about the project's chances.

"The new stadium would provide jobs, give us opportunities to host more events and potentially allow us to host NFL games, which could be huge revenue generators for the entire city," said Bridgette Bryant, a Republican candidate for Assembly District 12.

"We have a unique situation in Vegas. We have tourists coming from around the world to visit our structures and this one can fall right into that category."

State Sen. Michael Roberson, R-Las Vegas, who isn't up for re-election, said, "I have been a vocal advocate for this project from Day 1, and we will pass legislation in 2013 to enable this project to move forward,"

UNLV athletic director Jim Livengood said the warm response by legislators and candidates is a promising sign.

"I am very encouraged," Livengood said. "It's really good for UNLV and certainly Rebel football, but I think it's even bigger in some ways for Las Vegas and the state of Nevada to have a facility that every city this size has.

"The term 'game-changer' has been overused, but that's what this is. This is a game-changer for the university and certainly Las Vegas to have a facility to do different things we haven't been able to do."

In addition to attracting events, such as major outdoor concerts and top professional sporting events, the stadium also would be the key to changing UNLV from a commuter school to a more traditional campus with additional housing and retail.

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@ reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.