A privately funded $1.3B arena with a retractable roof "has been proposed at the former Wet 'n' Wild site" on the Las Vegas Strip, according to Richard Velotta of the LAS VEGAS SUN. Former NBAer Jackie Robinson on Monday announced plans to "break ground next year on the 22,000-seat arena that could house basketball, hockey, boxing, rodeos and concerts." The 862,000-square-foot arena would "be built on 27 acres between the yet-to-open SLS Las Vegas and the dormant Fontainebleau project site." The project, which developers have tentatively named the All Net Arena and Resort, is planned "on the opposite end of the Strip" from another arena proposal, which involves MGM Resorts Int'l partnering with AEG on a 20,000-seat facility between New York-New York and Monte Carlo casinos. The All Net proposal includes "a high-end resort with a spa" to accompany the four-level arena that would "include 75 luxury boxes: 25 1,000-square-foot executive suites and 50 500-square-foot corporate suites." Robinson said, "I started on this about four or five years ago, and at the time, the economic conditions didn’t help. So we just waited for the right time. We have proper financing in place, the economy is moving in the right direction and our lenders are saying now is the time." He added that he and his lenders would "meet with representatives of the Clark County Commission in the weeks ahead." Robinson said that he "has a team of financial backers that includes several banks and international and domestic lenders." He has "hired Minneapolis-based Cuningham Group Architecture" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 12/24). In Las Vegas, Alan Snel noted Robinson hopes to "open the arena in December 2016." He said that he "will try to bring an NBA team to his arena as a tenant." Robinson added that he is "using his contacts" with NBA Basketball Operations President Rod Thorn and NBA VP/Baskteball Operations Kiki Vandeweghe "to lobby for an NBA team." Snel noted Robinson also "proposes to build a 300,000-square-foot promenade called Victory Plaza to lead visitors from the Strip to the venue" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 12/25).
