Goodman: Plenty of reason for economic optimism

By Michael Mishak

Wednesday, April 22, 2009 | 3:31 p.m.

As far as Oscar Goodman is concerned, Las Vegas has turned a corner.

Speaking to a Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday, the Las Vegas mayor said the currents of the recession had shifted and that the city's redevelopment efforts have laid the groundwork for a big comeback.

"I come here today brimming with optimism," Goodman told a crowd of about 300 business owners gathered at the Four Seasons hotel. "I believe we have turned around."

As evidence, he cited his recent conversations with rank-and-file workers, such as valets and bellhops, saying he detected a marked change in attitude from just six months ago. Beyond that, Goodman touted the successes of the city's Redevelopment Agency -- the World Market Center, the Chelsea Premium Outlets, Molasky Corporate Center -- and said the developments had created confidence in developers to invest in Las Vegas.

He then argued that future plans, including controversial ones to build a new city hall, would spur more investment.

His 30-minute speech virtually ignored traditional economic indicators.

"In this economic atmosphere, much of it is psychological," Goodman said. "If we think positively, and we have confidence in what we're going to do, then we are going to come out of this a lot stronger than we went into it."

He also cited capital improvements by downtown casino operators and increased traffic on Fremont Street East as signs of a turnaround.

Goodman also predicted that a series of largely vacant loft complexes downtown would welcome tenants soon.

"They are taking their hits," he said of the lofts. "But it's just a matter of time before the banks open up and start lending money again. They've got the money now. The only difference between now and before is that they've set the bar a lot higher as to whom they are going to lend money. That's going to loosen up because (banks) are in the business of making money and you don't make money if you don't lend money."

Goodman devoted a considerable stretch of his speech to castigating the leadership of the Culinary Union, which has opposed the City Council's plans to build a new city hall and sponsored ballot initiatives to sink the development. The council refused to place the initiatives on the ballot and the union lost a court battle last week over the issue.

Although the Culinary has filed an appeal with the Nevada Supreme Court, Goodman delighted in the union's apparent defeat, saying Culinary leaders were "almost sociopathic" in their battle against the new city hall. The campaign, he said, followed a series of efforts by the union to "extort" council support for organizing agreements with developers.

"They were evil," Goodman said. "They tried to hurt each and every one of us here. And you shouldn't forget it."

The union dismissed Goodman's comments.

"Unfortunately, the mayor keeps trying to turn this into something personal," said spokeswoman Pilar Weiss. "We've said over and over again we believe the voters of Las Vegas should have a voice and should be able to vote on how their taxpayer money is used."

She added: "The actions and behavior of the city council are cause for concern. According to the mayor and the city council, there can be no critique or analysis of redevelopment, no call for accountability as to how taxpayer money is spent."

Goodman, the self-described "happiest mayor in the universe," closed with sunshine. "We're back," he said. "Keep your chins up, and we're going to be as strong as we ever were."