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Majestic Realty and its partners unveiled plans for a new 40,000-seat events center next to Thomas & Mack Center that would serve as the new home of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, with the old arena consigned to a backup role.
The plan from Majestic — also in the news for proposing a new stadium in suburban Los Angeles — call for the firm to lease 150 acres from UNLV to the south and west of Thomas & Mack Center, which is now mostly paved lots and unused car-rental buildings. A 40,000-seat event center — strictly speaking, not a stadium — would be built on the site, along withentertainment venues, student housing, shopping and hotels. And, of course, Majestic wouldn’t mind if an NBA team came along for the ride.
“In addition to providing a platform for UNLV football, basketball and other sports, the event center will be designed to accommodate other professional sports including a potential home to an NBA team, however it is not contingent upon a pro sports franchise,†said Craig Cavileer, president of Silverton Casino and an investor in the project. “In addition, this flexible events center will provide the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority an entirely new offering for retaining and attracting events of the scale that have made Las Vegas famous as the destination for major events. And, at the same time, rather than UNLV being confronted with the improbable task of developing multiple venues to accommodate its own needs, our multi-purpose events center provides a permanent and profitable home for all UNLV sports.â€
The whole development would be privately financed. Design is from Populous‘s Dan Meis; construction would be done by Roski’s Commerce Construction Co.
Along with the UNLV football team, the Runnin’ Rebels basketball team would also be a tenant. Thomas & Mack Center would be renovated as well. It would serve as home for secondary events and where there’s a schedule confict with the stadium. It would put total seating capacity in the complex at 60,000 — the better to keep and expand events like National Finals Rodeo.
If a memorandum of understanding is approved by the Nevada Board of Regents on February 11, Majestic and its team will begin to develop more specific timelines, phasing agreements and construction schedules for this landmark project.
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