LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Iconic former Las Vegas mayors Oscar and Carolyn Goodman led the transformation and revitalization of Downtown and the city over 25 years of public service.
Though the dynamic couple with bold personalities have been de-facto (and eventually official) “ambassadors” of Las Vegas worldwide for decades, the public servants are most proud of their lasting legacy: massive redevelopment across many parts of Downtown, the creation of cultural institutions, the preservation and restoration of historical architecture and the establishment of a medical district.
FOX5 met with the couple as they enjoy retirement and reflect on their terms in office. From 1999 to 2024, the duo shared their consistent vision over back-to-back terms to bring big city infrastructure, Downtown living and cultural institutions to the area.
“I went from villain to visionary,” Oscar Goodman said. “It takes more than one person to do it, of course, but I’m told by people that I changed the whole face of Las Vegas.”
“He took it over Downtown– drugs and prostitution and boarded up buildings,” Carolyn Goodman said. “We want to be a world-class city. The whole idea of culture and art was part of the dream… improving the medical care here and the Medical District– part of the vision and the dream,” she said.
The cosmopolitan couple– Carolyn hailing from New York and Oscar from Philadelphia- wanted to bring big-city amenities to the Entertainment Capital of the World.
Carolyn Goodman explains the vision behind the state-of-the-art City Hall and the new Civic Center, which finally opened in August. “You want it to be a place that’s welcoming and that the citizens are so proud of,” she said, noting that such facilities accommodate everyone from average citizens to world leaders.
The couple had visions for the city’s growth that others didn’t support at the time but eventually came to fruition: the development of Symphony Park with the Smith Center and the Discovery Museum, the preservation of historic buildings across Las Vegas, and the creation of attractions such as the Mob Museum.
Oscar Goodman was a proponent of the Valley becoming the “Sports Capital of the World” when the concept of a professional sports team in Las Vegas was still taboo.
“I think they missed an awful lot by fighting me all those years. We are always at the tip of everybody’s tongue when there’s some kind of an expansion team,” he said.
The vision is still unfolding: work is underway on the Las Vegas Museum of Art. The couple hopes to one day see the Showgirl Museum come to life, as well as other museums.
“At the end of the day, this city is a better place because she was the mayor,” Oscar Goodman said of his wife’s terms in office.
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