Sports-Themed Resort Could Compete In Las Vegas
KTVU.com - A new resort is being proposed for North Las Vegas that could be the ultimate dream-come-true for sports fanatics — so much so that they made that part of the name.
The $4 billion project, dubbed Ultimate Sports Resort, would feature 5,500 rooms, a casino and several sporting and exhibition venues, including a 26,000-seat arena, a 10,000-seat arena, a 5,000-seat aquatic arena, a bowling alley, an ice rink and several other facilities of various sizes to accommodate other events.
If it happens, it will go on a 116-acre chunk of land near the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a few miles north of the Strip.
According to the group driving the project, owners hope to break ground before the end of the year and have the whole thing up and running by 2009. However there is a lot of speculation that this may be yet another one of those situations where people make grand pronouncements without necessarily having the resources to back it up.
Matt Rose, the CEO of the organization behind USR, is still trying to line up investors ($4 billion worth of them, mind you) and is also being sued by a former business partner who claims that Rose stole the idea.
On the other hand, many a multi-billion palace to excess has been built on less, so while I say “don’t hold your breath,” I also say “you never know.”
If it does happen, don’t expect it to help the city’s effort to lure a professional sports team to town. No pro (or college for that matter) sports team will ever play in an arena connected to a casino, so the best they can hope for are special events or non-competition exhibitions.