Tulane Football Stadium Agreement Draws Criticism From Neighborhood Groups

An agreement between Tulane Univ. and New Orleans officials governing operation of Tulane's proposed on-campus football stadium is “drawing no cheers from many nearby residents, who continue to fear how events at the 30,000-capacity facility will affect their lives,” according to Bruce Eggler of the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE. The leaders of eight surrounding neighborhood associations “blasted the proposed standards for the number of events to be allowed, hours of use, traffic and parking plans, lighting, litter pickup and several other aspects of the proposal.” The leaders called parts of the agreement "grossly insufficient," saying that the proposed operating rules “threaten their ‘quality of life.’” The draft agreement “does not set a maximum number of ‘major events’ -- football games and other attractions expected to generate at least 2,500 vehicles -- to be allowed at the stadium, though it says there can be no more than 10 'non-football major events' a year.” An earlier draft “would have allowed 12 such events.” The neighborhood associations “figure there would be at least 20 major events a year.” Their letter Friday to Deputy Mayor Emily Arata said that “having that many major events, plus an unlimited number of minor events, would ‘greatly exceed the ability of surrounding neighborhoods to maintain any quality of life.’” Eggler noted the agreement “bans certain types of events, including rock and similar concerts, rodeos and ‘monster truck’ shows” (NOLA.com, 1/26).

TAX SEASON: UNLV officials yesterday said that “additional funding sources under discussion” for the school’s proposed 60,000-seat stadium “include a new fee on rental of each hotel room across the Las Vegas Valley.” In Las Vegas, Alan Snel reports UNLV and its private-industry partner "until now" had said that an on-campus tax district, which "would capture taxes on the sale of food, beverages and retail items at a proposed shopping area to be built as part of the UNLVNow stadium project, would pay much of the construction bill.” Both a campus taxing district and a new hotel room fee “would have to be approved by the state Legislature, which starts its biennial session next week” (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 1/29).