Las Vegas business briefs

ST. ANDREWS, LV DISCOUNT GOLF POST EARNINGS -- St. Andrews Golf Corp., developer of the All-American SportPark at Las Vegas Boulevard South and Sunset Road, reported second quarter earnings of $600,600 or 20 cents a share, compared with a loss of $88,000 or 3 cents in the year-ago quarter. The company is trying to complete financing to finish construction of the SportPark, a baseball batting facility, racing track and arena sanctioned by professional sports franchisers. St. Andrews' results include a $1.5 million gain from the sale of its investment in an adjacent lighted nine-hole par-3 golf course it jointly owned with Callaway Golf Co. Las Vegas Discount Golf and Tennis Co., which owns two-thirds of the common shares of St. Andrews, reported second-quarter earnings of $355,900, or 6 cents a share, compared with a loss of $48,000 or 1 cent a year earlier. LVDG also owns Rainbow, a retail golf and tennis outlet in Las Vegas.

HARMON SUES WOMEN OVER INVESTMENT -- Harley E. Harmon Insurance, Harley Harmon and Jeff Harmon sued Margaret Lorenzo and Loretta Eichelbarger in Clark County District Court, seeking to have a lien the two women filed lifted. The women filed the lien for $79,000 in an attempt to collect repayment of an investment. However, Eichelbarger said Tuesday she has already signed a release to have the lien lifted. Harley E. Harmon's now-defunct mortgage company had its license revoked by the state last December due to investors failing to recoup their money on real estate and construction loan deals.

CASHMAN FIELD'S NAME CHANGED -- Cashman Field will now be officially known as Cashman Center. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority approved changing the facility's name to more accurately reflect the fact it includes a convention center and a theatre in addition to a baseball stadium. The name change is necessary to help the LVCVA market Cashman to trade show and convention groups, said Tom Smith, LVCVA vice president of facilities. "It's taken a connotation of just being associated with the playing field," Smith said of Cashman.

CASHMAN FIELD'S RENTAL RATE HIKED -- Trying to recover higher costs, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority approved rental rate increases for the convention center at Cashman Field over the objections of a non-profit group. Rental rates for conventions and trade shows will increase from 15 cents to 20 cents per net square foot, while meeting room rental rates will increase from $105 per day to $250. For public events, rates will increase to 5 cents per gross square foot, as opposed to the current 5 cents per net square foot. The change will have the effect of raising the minimum rental charge for public events from $3,000 per day to $5,000 per day. Non-profits, which qualify for half-off the public event rate, will see an effective increase from $1,500 to $2,500. The changes will take effect immediately for new business, and July 1, 1999 for customers holding confirmed dates. Arthur Ruckle, the Las Vegas German-American Club's representative to the International Festival Association, said the increases mean the association may not be able to hold its annual food festival next year.

APARTMENTS SUED AFTER TENANT MOLESTED -- A woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by a maintenance man at her apartment complex sued its owners in Clark County District Court. The plaintiff names Security Capital Pacific Trust, doing business as Sunterra Apartments, SCG Realty Services Inc. and the maintenance man. The suit says the man pleaded guilty to gross lewdness after the assault. Attempts to contact Security Capital officials for comment failed.

To contact Sun Business Editor Steve Green, call 259-4083 or e-mail [email protected]

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