Goodman calls for answers on future of troubled Neonopolis

When he first issued an ultimatum on Neonopolis, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman set a deadline that was in another year, a new century and a different millennium.

Last year Goodman said he planned to take over the beleaguered development if an anchor tenant hadn't been signed by Feb. 1. But as that date draws closer, Goodman is saying he meant the statement only as a "symbolic deadline."

At his weekly press conference Thursday, Goodman said the deadline was merely meant to stress his concern. Meanwhile, he added he wanted to hear answers from the City Centre Development Corp. about downtown efforts before that.

"I want them to come to the City Council meeting on Jan. 19 and give a report," Goodman said.

City Manager Virginia Valentine had suggested Wednesday that representatives of the Fremont Street Experience, City Centre and the Downtown Central Development Committee meet with the council during a strategic planning workshop scheduled for sometime in February.

"We thought that the strategic planning session was a good place for all of us to come together on common goals," Valentine said Thursday. "But (Goodman) did ask that they come to the meeting."

Although city staff can be compelled to report to the council, Valentine said it may be difficult getting representatives of the downtown casinos and the private sector development corporation to report.

"You know (Fremont Street Experience President) Mark Paris and the DCDC don't work for us at all," Valentine said. "We can certainly ask them to come."

Even if the city's private sector redevelopment arm, City Centre Development, does give a status report at the council meeting, Neonopolis developers won't be there.

"I think it's unnecessary," said Rob Snowden, executive vice president of Neonopolis-developer World Entertainment Centers. "We talk to the council people one-on-one, and I think they generally know and appreciate how unusual our situation is."

Snowden said Neonopolis has been victimized more by bad luck than any market-related problems.

The block-long, three-story complex was originally set to open in November on Fremont Street between Las Vegas Boulevard and Fourth Street. Although Neonopolis is a private sector project, the city spent $34 million constructing a two-level subterranean parking garage on the site and helped assemble the parcels of land for the developer.

Mann Theaters, the anchor tenant, was removed from the Neonopolis lease last November in bankruptcy court after the bankruptcy of its parent company.

"I can't tell you the last theater company to file bankruptcy," Snowden said. "It's highly unusual."

Now developers say they can't lease the rest of the retail and restaurant space until a new anchor tenant is signed. The original timeline called for a 12-month construction period.

Goodman said he didn't specifically need to hear from Neonopolis developers but did want to talk to City Centre and the city's Office of Business Development.

"I want to find out what they perceive their role to be, what they've done and what they hope to accomplish," Goodman said. "I do not want to dismantle the CCDC. I just want to know what they feel they can achieve in the immediate future."

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