LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Leaders for the Las Vegas Raiders have asked for $75 million in funds from the Stadium Authority for what the team calls critical traffic issues involving pedestrians and much-needed outdoor event amenities.
Improvements would include a new pedestrian deck, transportation improvements, a public plaza, and an event deck.
The total cost of the project would be $158 million; the Raiders have asked the Stadium Authority for funding from the “waterfall residual fund”: excess room tax revenue that can, according to legislation, be used for capital improvements or early bond payments, according to Stadium Authority officials. Room tax revenue helps pay for $750 million in bonds and financing granted by the Nevada Legislature in 2016 with the Stadium Bill.
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Team President Sandra Douglas Morgan was among other leaders touting the vast accomplishments of the stadium over the past six years: 151 major ticketed events, more than 7 million attendees, and $10.6 billion in total economic activity, helping position Las Vegas as the Sports and Entertainment Capital of the World.
Allegiant plays host to Raiders football, UNLV football, international soccer and rugby, championship boxing, WrestleMania twice, and Super Bowl 58 and the return of the Big Game in 2029; dozens of major concerts are also held at the stadium, in addition to serving as a voting center and place for citizenship ceremonies.
Morgan explains the growing needs of visitors and growing concern outside the stadium: foot traffic from the Hacienda Bridge and pedestrians crossing into roadways. An I-15 overpass that is shut down to vehicle traffic during major events.
“As our attendance has grown, and the stadium has hosted a wider range of different events, the north side of the building has become one of the most pressure points in the guest experience… on high attendance event days, that infrastructure is stretched to its capacity,” Morgan said.
An elevated deck would connect the Hacienda Bridge to stadium property, helping pedestrians bypass roadways; rideshare vehicles would pick up and drop off pedestrians below the deck.
Various outdoor activations and events occur before or after high-attendance games or concerts; a proposed plaza would provide shade. Community events could also be held outside the stadium, officials said.
Across the Valley, some residents have voiced concerns that the profitable team with a growing valuation worth billions can afford to pay for improvements.
“It is helping to drive our economy forward. It’s creating the jobs, the economic impact, the tax revenue that is much more than the room tax that our tourists are paying,” said Steve Hill, president of the LVCVA.
“It’s just the first time that we have tapped the bottom of the fund,” he said.
The Stadium Authority is set to vote on the funding by September 2.
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