Las Vegas Review-Journal

First peek at stadium funds coming

Authority expected to discuss financing package, including Bank of America loan

- By Richard N. Velotta Las Vegas Review-journal

The Las Vegas Stadium Authority will get its first look at the details of the financing of the 65,000-seat domed football stadium when it meets Thursday, a day after Clark County officials conduct a high-impact project hearing on the developmen­t.

While the Clark County Commission, meeting as planning and zoning overseers, delves into details of parking, traffic, water, sewer, drainage and emergency services on Wednesday, the nine-member authority is expected to receive specifics on the four-pronged constructi­on financing package.

The stadium has been billed as a $1.9 billion project that includes $750 million in public funding to support bonds paid off with a 0.88 percentage-point increase in a hotel room tax that ranges between 12.5 percent and 13.4 percent.

In addition to the public funding, the Raiders have three potential funding sources: personal seat licenses sold to season ticket holders, a loan from Bank of America and a National Football League stadiumcon­structionl­oanprogram.

The Raiders haven’t submitted materials to the authority in advance of Thursday’s meeting, so it’s unclear how much detail will be provided on dollar

STADIUM

Lower suite, 32 feet above ground —

Upper suite, 52 feet above ground —

Mid-bowl mezzanine, 70 feet above ground —

Upper concourse, 88 feet above ground —

Upper mezzanine, 100 feet above ground — Ticket-holder seats.

Press level, 142 feet above ground — Press gondola; Tv/radio broadcast booths; writing press; coaches’ booths.

Catwalk, 157 feet above ground — Access to lights and equipment.

Roof, 195 feet above ground — Ethylene tetraflour­oethylene cable roof system.

amounts.

The authority isn’t scheduled to act on the leasehold mortgage agreement this month and will likely take it up in September. But authority members are scheduled to receive a report on Bank of America’s ability to step in and assume the rights as the leasehold mortgagee should the Raiders fail to meet their loan commitment­s.

“It’s a general presentati­on on how the deal itself is going to be structured and how the public knows there is sufficient financial security to ensure that the Raiders can fulfill their obligation­s under the agreements

as required by Senate Bill

1,” said Jeremy Aguero, a principal for Applied Analysis, the Las Vegas company serving as the authority’s staff. “That presentati­on and those findings are specifical­ly required by the legislatio­n.”

Included in the discussion will be direction from the authority board about what specific informatio­n it wants as part of a formal resolution when it votes on the financial package.

Thursday’s agenda also will include progress reports on drafting the personal seat license agreement, a non-relocation agreement and an overall status report on the project.

The authority also is expected to consider whether it wants an owner

representa­tive or compliance officer designated as the point person for stadium constructi­on. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has an owner representa­tive designated for its $1.4 billion Las Vegas Convention Center expansion and renovation project.

New details about the stadium have emerged in documents filed with the county. Plans indicate the building would be 225 feet tall with 10 levels, not including a catwalk servicing lighting and equipment and a transparen­t roof.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjour­nal.com or 702477-3893. Follow @Rickvelott­a on Twitter.

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