Monorail extension to Mandalay Bay moves closer to approval

By Jackie Valley

Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016 | 4:33 p.m.

The Las Vegas Monorail Co. is a step away from receiving the green light for its proposed extension to Mandalay Bay.

The Clark County Commission on Tuesday approved an amendment to the franchise agreement with the nonprofit Las Vegas Monorail Co., allowing for the 1.14-mile expansion to south Strip properties. The final hurdle: approval of use permits by the county zoning commission, which will consider the matter Wednesday morning.

The amendment to the franchise agreement states the nonprofit must acquire funding and begin project construction within two years. Actual construction of the extension is expected to take 18 months, said Curtis Myles, president and CEO of the company.

The project would extend the monorail from MGM Grand to another station between Mandalay Bay and the Luxor, making the elevated, mass-transit system 5 miles long. The monorail now runs from the SLS Las Vegas in the north to the MGM Grand in the south, with additional stations between those two properties.

Officials have pointed to the monorail extension as a means of transporting people closer to the NFL-ready stadium planned for that end of the resort corridor. The project developer — namely, Sheldon Adelson, who is president and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corp. — has narrowed down the potential stadium sites to either acreage immediately west of Interstate 15 and north of Russell Road or land now occupied by the Bali Hai golf course.

The Las Vegas Monorail Co. has “drawings” for what a system extension to the Russell Road stadium site may look like, Myles said.

Monorail officials say 79 percent of riders use it for leisure-related purposes, while the rest use it for transportation during conventions.

The project price tag has not been determined because the design process has not been completed, said Ingrid Reisman, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of the Las Vegas Monorail Co. Officials are exploring different ways of funding the project, including private bonds, she said.