Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Phoenix points the way

Brian Greenspun is editor of the Las Vegas Sun.

WE HAVE MUCH for which to be thankful. We should find a better way to show it.

I learned many years ago not to believe too strongly in our own press releases. To do otherwise -- to believe what we say about ourselves -- is to forget how we all got here, which will give rise to the kind of mistakes that will dash any hopes of continued success. I believe Las Vegas may be on the brink of such folly.

It has been a practice of mine to write what I call my "Phoenix" column every year or so in the hopes that our elected officials and planners will spend a few dollars to visit that Arizona city to see how that community has grown in an aesthetically pleasing way. Whether it is the decorative freeways, the generous setbacks on residential streets and business boulevards or the architectural styling that seems to compete with the best anywhere, it always seemed to me appropriate for our planners to copy what was good and encourage builders in our valley to emulate it.

I must admit that, except for a few rare exceptions, no one in office, in government or even those in the builder elite have paid much attention to my suggestion. Perhaps it was because Las Vegas has grown so fast that the marketplace demand outpaced the need to make things pretty along the way. Perhaps it was something else that shortchanged this valley on the aesthetics that separate a warm and wonderful city from the rest. The good news, though, is that because of Las Vegas' wonderful future, it is not too late. Yet.

I visited the Phoenix-Scottsdale area last week and was, once again, reminded of opportunities lost in this paradise of ours. The building architecture is far advanced of our own, as is the commitment to landscaping and other amenities that help make our communities more enjoyable. But, this time my sights weren't set on the residential and business community. I was looking specifically for the way in which our Arizona neighbor dealt with its cultural opportunities and its commitment to athletic endeavors.

The reason, of course, is obvious. The whispers around town have turned into high-decibel discussion of the need (call it desire) for a professional athletic team. Whether it is basketball, football, baseball or hockey remains to be seen, but it is clear that some of our community and business leaders are hot to trot on the idea. There is a bit of schizophrenia, I must admit, regarding the gamblers' attitudes about sports betting -- pro or college -- but that should sort itself out if people get serious.

Naturally, any endeavor will need an arena and where to put it and how to pay for it will remain significant questions that need to be answered before we can go too far down the road with the big boys. Phoenix has a new arena -- two of them -- and I wanted to see them.

Phoenix is also way ahead of us when it comes to providing its citizens with cultural opportunities and the places in which to enjoy them. Foremost among them is the Symphony and Performing Arts complex. While I have visited that beautiful tribute to architecture and the arts many times before, I wanted to see it again in the context of its geographic location. The reason, again, is obvious.

With the Metropolitan Police Department demanding that Clark County come through on a promise it made years ago regarding 10 acres of land on the Union Pacific site, and the county caving in without a shot fired, a proposed cultural arts center is now scrambling for suitable land somewhere, anywhere, in the valley. Anywhere but the Union Pacific site. Naturally, I was curious about the way Phoenix handled its need to locate as centrally as possible the cultural and athletic requirements of that growing metropolis.

It will probably come as no surprise to anyone who is even remotely interested in this subject that the symphony, the ballet and other arts efforts in that city of 3.5 million people all occur right smack in the middle of downtown Phoenix. That's right, if the Union Pacific property were located in Phoenix the way it is in Las Vegas, the entire cultural complex would be sitting right dab in the middle of it. Right dab in the middle of downtown!

So I next looked for the sports complex, the America West Arena and the new BOB, that's short for the Bank One Ballpark, both of which have been getting so much positive press lately. Guess what? They are right next door. That's right. If the Cultural Center were located in the middle of the Union Pacific property in Las Vegas, the sports complexes would be just across the street.

I have to admit, however, that I didn't see the Phoenix Police Department anywhere in sight, although it could very well be among the beautiful structures that add grace and style to a rejuvenated downtown that was just a few years ago a prime example of urban blight.

Does any of this sound remotely familiar?

It should, because the right answer to rebuilding downtown Las Vegas with the kind and quality of cultural, athletic and other public uses is to build them downtown. If, however, we are content to let Las Vegas' urban area continue to go to seed, then so be it. But if we are committed to do what scores of other cities have done to rebuild and rejuvenate their inner cities, then the answer to what to do is obvious.

And if we want to make cultural opportunities available for everyone -- not just the wealthy among us -- then the proper place to site those activities is in a geographic center of the community with a bias toward those areas of town that will be most beneficially affected by them. In short, if we must have another police building next door to the county complex, then build it. But why not tear down those old, crumbling structures near Main Street and replace them with something architecturally stunning to house the Metro forces?

And, as long as we are at it, take the 10 acres owned by the county, spend the money to add more to it, and continue the architectural genesis that will make this city the continued envy of the rest of the country.

We are not some decaying city with no chance of rejuvenation. We are the fastest, hippest and most energetic community in America, so crying poor just won't cut it. We have the opportunity to do this thing right and we have some pretty good efforts in Phoenix and other places which we can use as models for our own efforts. And, here's a news flash. As a community, we can afford to build these structures.

With so much to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving weekend, we should consider our opportunities and do our best not to squander them. Let us not be petty and let us not be cheap. We'll never get the chance to do it right the first time again!

archive