Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2004 | 9:33 a.m.
The sidewalks on the Strip soon may be dotted with commemorative stars bearing the names of Las Vegas's most famous talents, if the Clark County commissioners today OKs an agreement negotiated with The Motion Picture Hall of Fame Foundation to create the Las Vegas Walk of Stars.
Honoring people in this way would not cost county residents a dime, said Robert Alexander, the foundation's president, who was scheduled to appear today at the county commission meeting to discuss the project.
"The taxpayers are not liable in any way," Alexander said. "There would not be any cost to the county."
Commissioner Rory Reid said the county's agreement with Alexander is based on a longstanding relationship the Motion Picture Hall of Fame has with Palm Springs, Calif., where the company runs the Palm Springs Walk of Fame.
"We have absolutely no financial obligations," Reid said. "We didn't do this blindly. Our staff did the due diligence and uncovered a long relationship with the city of Palm Springs."
The agreement has the recommendation of county Public Works and District Attorney's Office staff.
The county can revoke the agreement at any time, Reid said. The benefit for Las Vegas is that it would provide a new tourist attraction, he added.
Alexander, contacted in Palm Springs, said he is president of the Palm Springs operation, and that Las Vegas is a natural extension of the effort. In Nevada, the company is chartered as the Las Vegas Walk of Stars.
The stars would eventually be on sidewalks on both sides of the Strip from Sahara Avenue to Russell Road, he said.
Celebrities and civic leaders would be nominated by a committee for inclusion on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars, but "friends, family and fans" would pay the $15,000 fee for the star to actually go into the sidewalk, Alexander said.
The company would cover all costs and assume all legal liability for the work, and would establish a $2,000 fund for each star to cover long-term maintenance, he said.
"We have been working on this project in Las Vegas for a number of months now," he said. "There are certainly as many stars here that have performed in Las Vegas as in any city in the world."
The stars -- the ones sunk in the concrete sidewalks -- eventually would serve to indirectly promote a Motion Picture Hall of Fame museum on the Strip, Alexander said.
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