Two months after UNLV "dumped Majestic Realty as a partner in a new stadium, Majestic is pushing an alternative that would bypass the university and instead partner with the state itself," according to a front-page piece by Alan Snel of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. Majestic point man Craig Cavileer said that the company will "commit $385 million toward the $770 million project." In recent weeks he has been "quietly lobbying lawmakers and Gov. Brian Sandoval, seeking support for a $1.50 per trip taxi fee in the Las Vegas area that would pay the state’s half of construction costs." The "Southern Nevada Mega Events Center" would be "built on 40 acres on East Tropicana Avenue near Koval Lane, an easy walk from" the UNLV campus. Cavileer said that Majestic can "buy the site from Wells Fargo for" $55M. He added that UNLV would be "offered free use of the stadium for football games." Nevada Assembly Minority Floor Leader Pat Hickey said that he "spoke with Cavileer about the proposed taxi fee, but 'it was too late in the session' to adopt a stadium bill." The legislature is "scheduled to adjourn next week." UNLV Now project head Don Snyder said, "UNLV is not part of this project. When there are multiple efforts, it makes it more confusing. I was surprised by it. We’re focused on doing the project on campus" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 5/29). Snel noted UNLV officials said that they "want a direct partnership with the major hotel-casinos of the Strip to build a new domed stadium on campus." They are "counting on a proposed stadium authority and its 11-member governing board -- which would include at least two tourism/hotel executives -- to accomplish that." The bill would "create the authority with a two-year window to make a plan" for what UNLV officials are calling a "mega-events center." UNLV said that Majestic was "a wedge between the university and the hotel/resort industry" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 5/27).
