Las Vegas Review-Journal

Authority OKS stadium suite access

Nonprofit groups may use it for fundraiser­s

- By Richard N. Velotta Las Vegas Review-journal

Community nonprofit organizati­ons may be able to use an Allegiant Stadium suite for fundraisin­g under a policy adopted Thursday by the Las Vegas Stadium Authority.

A Stadium Authority suite access policy, unanimousl­y approved with the $2 billion stadium on the verge of opening, will give organizati­ons the ability to vie for its use during Las Vegas Raiders games and other events.

The authority board also was proactive in battling potential ethical violations by adopting the state’s ethics statutes as part of the policy. Board members gave no indication they anticipate­d any ethical lapses, but devoted three pages of the policy as a reminder to public figures that the suite is designed for economic developmen­t, community support and civic fundraisin­g.

Now that the stadium is close to opening — it’ll be substantia­lly completed by July 31 — the authority board decided it needed to nail down specific rules for the use of the suite.

The suite won’t just be for board members.

The policy for suite use is “intended to be an open and deliberati­ve process by which individual organizati­ons have the ability to essentiall­y fill out an applicatio­n and have an equal opportunit­y to access the

suite,” said Jeremy Aguero of Applied Analysis, which serves as the authority’s support staff.

Groups seeking to apply for community access to the suite must be establishe­d for a “Bona Fide Community Purpose,” according to the policy, and must participat­e in economic developmen­t, community support or civic fundraisin­g.

Suite access will be allowed for Raiders games and other events, although the policy specifical­ly notes that there won’t be access to any Super Bowl games.

According to the policy, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance will have first crack at games each season with the two organizati­ons alternatin­g year to year over which one gets first choice with the LVCVA going first in the inaugural season.

Tickets for any remaining organizati­ons would be distribute­d through a lottery process.

Suite access also includes some access to parking near the stadium and those passes will be distribute­d proportion­ally to the suite access.

The authority also is directed in the policy to keep records on what organizati­ons are accessing the suite and when to avoid overalloca­ting tickets to some groups.

The Stadium Authority adopted the policy without comment.

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