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A few weeks ago, while standing on the balcony of a Sahara penthouse suite, I looked to the lot immediately south of the casino and asked “Are they supposed to build something here?”

The person whom I was with had no idea, and when I later posed the question in my own forums, I realized that almost nobody had an answer.  The former home of the Wet n’ Wild amusement park has been sitting vacant since 2004, and like so many other projects around town, it’s devolved into little more than an eyesore.

Yesterday, on my way back from an absolutely thrilling hold ‘em session at Caesars Palace, I passed the vacant lot again and noticed a new fence which read “10,000 New Jobs For Nevada – Silver State Arena”.

Huh … what?!

Good god, how on earth had I managed to miss this development?  They are building a stadium in my own backyard and this was the first I was hearing about it?  Maybe the rumors are true.  Maybe I really do walk around with my head up my ass.

When I got home, I immediately began to research the “Silver State Arena” project and anything else I might have missed, such as the discovery of a new alien life form.

Of course, this being Las Vegas, what I learned to be the truth slightly deviated from what was being advertised on the sign.  You see, there currently is no stadium being built.  Some guys have an idea for a stadium on the North Strip site, but as of this moment, it has not yet been approved.

Apparently, this stadium is in competition with another group that wishes to build their version of an arena behind Harrah’s, but to their credit, the Silver State project already has a website.

I read through the site, considered what it might mean, and came to a conclusion:

On a personal level, I would love this thing.

Just think about it … the arena would be 10 minutes from my doorstep, and assuming it was not sold out, I could literally attend events on a whim.  There would be no accommodation considerations, parking considerations, or even traffic considerations.  When I say “10 minutes from my doorstep”, I mean 100% via foot.  I could walk over, watch, and walk home.  No fuss, no muss.  This is a convenience that few people enjoy in any city in the USA.  Even Madison Square Garden and the MCI Center typically required an extremey crowded subway ride.  Who knows, with such utter convenience, I might actually become a sports fan again.  Talk about rooting for the home team … the clubs would literally be playing in Rexvile.

Not only would this benefit me from an entertainment standpoint, but property values in my neighborhood would almost certainly go up, more businesses would sprout to serve stadium visitors, and transit options would probably increase as well.  At the very least, the monorail would be re-tooled and probably even expanded.  I am so excited about this arena, that if they want me to, I’ll use my own cock as a shovel to break ground.  Hell, I might even do this without even being asked.

Now, with everything above noted, I have to unequivocally concede that my excitement over this stadium is purely selfish.  Deep down, I know that there exists no demand in Las Vegas for a new stadium.

I’m not even convinced that the “10,000 new jobs” being touted by the developers are a good thing.

First of all, when you build something solely to create jobs, then the assumption should be that whatever being built is not needed.  Jobs should not exist for the sake of jobs, they should exist because they fill a needed void.

Second, once the stadium has been completed … then what?

The building boom of the 2000’s has already shown us what happens to jobs when a project is finished.  It creates a new group of unemployed people who quickly become impoverished. One-off construction jobs are a temporary solution to a permanent problem. Also, since so many of our construction jobs are given to illegal aliens, the true benefit to the American worker is rarely what the numbers indicate.

Last but not least, I can count on zero fingers the number of people I know here in town who are pining for a sports team.  It’s obvious that I could not care less about professional sports, but even the sports fans I know have indicated that they have no real interest in a local team.  They are convinced that it will bleed the city of yet more money, and dare I say it … sports are just not that goddamn important.  They’re children’s games played by adults.

All things considered, I find myself having very mixed feelings about the prospects of this arena.

If it is built, I will probably see some modest personal benefits.  Not only that, but come on … it’s exciting.  Imagine having a new full-sized arena built just around the corner from your house.  This prospect would be a thrill for all but the most recalcitrant NIMBY’s.  The selfish optimist in me is very excited.

The problem is, the optimist in me is always having his ass kicked by the realist in me.

In 2010, with Las Vegas’ population on the decline and damn near half of the residents indicating that they want to move out of here, I just don’t see a market for a sports stadium.  I see a market for a concert arena.  After all, Sam Boyd Stadium and the Thomas & Mack Center are a bit off of the beaten path.  A sports venue, however, no.

What this means is that if the stadium were put to a vote, I would have to begrudgingly vote “no”.  It’s just not in the best interests of the city.

However, if despite my own wishes a new area is approved, I hope the north-strip location wins out over the mid-strip location.  The North Boulevard is almost equally accessible from both Downtown and the Las Vegas Strip, and it would also give a huge shot in the arm to a section of the resort corridor which desperately needs it.

Also, most importantly, it won’t be surrounded by Harrah’s properties.

Like most things in this town lately, my assumption is that the Silver State Arena will be more vaporware.  We’ve been down the “stadium” road before, and nothing has ever come of it.  If I was a betting man, I would put my money on this project never happening … but you never know.

Three years from now, it’s entirely possible that I will be sitting court-side with a big foam finger rooting for the Rexville Raiders as they trounce the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

“Hey Kobe, you suck!  Why don’t you go over to the Wynn and have non-consensual intercourse with the concierge, then compensate for your lack of judgment by buying your wife a ring the size of a house, then go on television and betray the trust of your dearest friend Shaquille O’Neal while making yet another shitty Gatorade commercial!’

I’m just getting my taunts ready.

As it stands, I think my rough drafts are a bit on the verbose side.

Oh well, the stadium is not scheduled to open until 2012.

I have plenty of time to practice.

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