MORE STUDENT HOUSING IN WORKS
UNLV has been working with the Oakland Raiders on the planned 65,000-seat, $1.9 billion stadium to be located on Russell Road just west of Interstate 15.
“The Nfl-ready, domed stadium checks off a huge box for us,” Jessup said. “Negotiations are ongoing with the Raiders right now with the joint-use agreement, and we hope to have that wrapped up this fall. Everything is going well, and it looks like it’s on pace.”
The planned 70,000-squarefoot Fertitta Football Complex is a go after the Nevada Board of Regents last week approved a funding plan for the complex. Construction on the estimated $28 million facility is expected to begin later this year.
“That building will be phenomenal for what it does for the football program,” Jessup said. “They’ll play six or so games at the new stadium, but 359 days out of the year they’ll be in this (Fertitta Football Complex) building. It’s where they’ll eat, train and study.”
Having both the stadium and practice facility will be transformational for UNLV, reaching beyond just athletics, Jessup said.
He also mentioned the recent $72 million renovation of the Thomas & Mack Center and the baseball program’s $4 million clubhouse addition.
“It rivals not only the best in the NCAA — it rivals some of the best clubhouses in Major League Baseball,” Jessup said. “We believe it will help our Rebel baseball program get back on top.”
Planned additions
To improve the campus experience, UNLV is building the U District, new apartments off Maryland Parkway and Cottage Grove Drive.
Phase 1 of the project is scheduled to open in the spring. It will feature about 750 beds in almost 300 apartment units.
At full buildout, the entire project will add about 3,000 beds for students to live in on-campus housing.
“They’re desperately needed to accommodate the growth on campus,” Jessup said.
The Gateway project on Maryland Parkway now features a parking garage that has 820 spaces, with 630 of those designated for UNLV’S use.
Approvals are being sought to begin construction in front of the parking structure that will feature UNLV offices, retail and possibly more living space, Jessup said.
Jessup also mentioned that the 128-acre Harry Reid Research Park, at Sunset Road near Durango Drive in the southwest valley, already has two tenants, and UNLV is about to announce the third in the coming months.
The College of Engineering, which has seen its enrollment almost double to 2,500 students, is seeking to expand into a $35 million, 45,000- to 50,000-square-foot space.
The Lee Business School is looking for a new space for a future building as well, which would be privately funded. The building would likely be part of the UNLV Maryland Parkway midtown development and be located between the Flora Dungan Humanities (FDH) building and The TAM Alumni Center.
UNLV also has 2,085 acres in North Las Vegas, where Jessup said he envisioned a collaborative space with other educational institutions. mick.akers@lasvegassun.com / 702-948-7813 / @mickakers