Monorail would skip key Strip properties

The group seeking county approval for the monorail has released a route that includes stops at Bally's, the MGM Grand, the new Aladdin and a joint station at Harrah's and Imperial Palace.

But two properties the monorail group hoped to include, The Venetian and Desert Inn, were not interested.

That means the monorail will veer east instead of west and go to the Las Vegas Hilton and the convention center, bypassing a key area of the Strip.

"Both routes work for us. They're both economically feasible," said Bob Broadbent, manager of the MGM Grand-Bally's Monorail Limited Liability Co.

But the monorail group preferred a path that would have continued to the part of the Strip north of Sands Avenue.

Broadbent said he was unable to negotiate an agreement with The Venetian and Desert Inn.

"The Sands (Venetian) told us they don't want anything to do with it ... (but) they may change their mind," Broadbent said.

Representatives for The Venetian and Desert Inn confirmed they do not want the monorail running through their properties.

David Friedman, assistant to the chairman of the board for The Venetian, criticized the proposed system and said it will take up scarce public space, devalue private property along the route and possibly become a taxpayer boondoggle.

"For starters, we don't think it's a public monorail at all," Friedman said. "The system I've seen is primarily for private benefit ... to move customers from one Hilton property to another."

Broadbent said the system will serve tourists and residents and help relieve traffic congestion along the Strip, although his group has not yet conducted a traffic impact study.

He also contends the system will not require taxpayer money but has not ruled out the county taking over operation and maintenance of the system after 30 years.

Meanwhile, Phil Cooper, vice president of publicity and advertising for Caesars World, which operates the Desert Inn, said the monorail could hurt efforts to sell the high-end resort.

"The train would have gone through the property in some way, and we didn't want to risk not being able to sell," he said. Cooper said the hotel "has positioned itself as an exclusive type of property" that does not seek to maximize foot traffic, something a monorail stop might help accomplish.

Also at issue is whether the private monorail would be compatible with a proposed $1.5 billion public system that would connect the downtown area to McCarran International Airport and how the train will affect residents living along the proposed route.

Of the hotels that will have stops along the route or cede right of way to the project, Broadbent said, only the Hilton properties -- the Las Vegas Hilton, Flamingo Hilton and Bally's -- and the MGM Grand are firmly committed.

Hotels receiving a stop will pay between $7 million and $12 million, Broadbent said.

The entire 3.7-mile system is expected to cost $250 million, and fares are estimated at $2 to $2.50 per trip.

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