In an effort to secure a new stadium, and to keep the heat on city officials in their hometown, the Oakland Raiders are actively scouting new locations, and the most intriguing one mentioned this week is Las Vegas.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Las Vegas Sands Corp. is leading a group of investors that are offering to build a $1 billion domed stadium on 42 acres of land near the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus. The dome will become the home for UNLV's football team and could accommodate an NFL team, too.
Raiders owner Mark Davis reportedly will meet with Las Vegas Sands Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson on Friday to discuss the dome project. For the stadium to be worth constructing, it will need to have at least 65,000 seats.
"We are moving forward with the stadium concept with or without an NFL team," said Andy Abboud, Las Vegas Sands' SVP of Government Relations and Community Development, to the Review-Journal. "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."
O.co Coliseum in Oakland, current home of the Raiders. Photo: BrokenSphere/Wikimedia Commons.
The Raiders do not control their potential move to Los Angeles. After the Rams moved to LA earlier this month, the Chargers received the option to move to the city and share a stadium with the Rams. The Chargers have one year to accept or decline the proposal. If they pass, then the Raiders can decide if they want to move in with the Rams.
Meanwhile, the Raiders are still engaged in a stand-off with Oakland, where the city is against giving public money for a new stadium to replace the decrepit O.co Coliseum. The Raiders have looked into moving to San Diego, assuming the Chargers move, and San Antonio.
A mid-sized metro, Las Vegas is one of the largest cities to not have a team in the NFL, NBA, NHL, or MLB. That could soon be changing: The T-Mobile Arena, a 20,000-seat venue located near the Las Vegas Strip, is expected to be completed within the next few months. The $375 million arena, funded by casino company MGM, will host UFC fights, boxing bouts, and concerts, but will also try to lure an NHL team.
T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Rendering courtesy T-Mobile
Related Stories
| Nov 11, 2011
Streamline Design-build with BIM
How construction manager Barton Malow utilized BIM and design-build to deliver a quick turnaround for Georgia Tech’s new practice facility.
| Nov 9, 2011
Sika Sarnafil Roof Recycling Program recognized by Society of Plastics Engineers
Program leads the industry in recovering and recycling roofing membrane into new roofing products.
| Nov 1, 2011
Sasaki expands national sports design studio
Sasaki has also added Stephen Sefton to the sports design studio as senior associate.
| Oct 20, 2011
UNT receives nation’s first LEED Platinum designation for collegiate stadium
Apogee Stadium will achieve another first in December with the completion of three wind turbines that will feed the electrical grid that powers the stadium.
| Sep 30, 2011
Design your own floor program
Program allows users to choose from a variety of flooring and line accent colors to create unique floor designs to complement any athletic facility.
| Sep 16, 2011
Largest solar installation completed at Redskins' football stadium
On game days, solar power can provide up to 20% of FedExField’s power.
| Sep 12, 2011
First phase of plan to revitalize Florida's Hialeah Park announced
This is the first project of a master plan developed to revive the historic racetrack.
| May 25, 2011
Olympic site spurs green building movement in UK
London's environmentally friendly 2012 Olympic venues are fuelling a green building movement in Britain.