SLS to get oddball neighbor?

Everybody’s entitled to a dream, however implausible. Back when Christopher Milam was plotting to build the Silver State Arena on the former Wet ‘n Wild site, we had a lot of problems with Milam’s concept. However, it seems the essence of simplicity and realism compared to what local businessman Jackie Robinson is pitching for the same site. It’s another classic example of a project that’s driven by fear, so it tries to be everything to everybody.

Robinson wants to build a 22,000-seat arena that could house major-league sports. So far, so good. However, he wants to incorporate a spa, nightclub, a LasVegasArena_Exteriorwedding chapel and possibly hotel rooms. What a freakish agglomeration of things to throw together. The notion is as cumbersome as the name: All Net Arena & Resort. (“Honey, let’s stay at the All Net!”) “Robinson has ties to the NBA and has interest in bringing a team to Las Vegas,” reports the Las Vegas Sun, but does the NBA have an interest in bringing a team here? That’s the operative question. Robinson’s plans also call for a retractable roof (so-all important for basketball), which helps push the projected price tag up to $1.3 billion. Financing would be raised partly by farming out jobs overseas through the odious EB-5 Immigrant Investor policy. I’m going out on a limb and calling this project D.O.A.

However tacky Robinson’s project sounds, give some Sam Nazarian some credit here: If he weren’t beavering away on SLS Las Vegas, who knows if any other stirrings of developing would be disturbing the dust of the North Strip.

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