Allegiant Stadium construction continues amid 30-day state shutdown

Although the majority of businesses in Nevada are closed following a directive from Gov. Steve Sisolak to curb the spread of COVID-19, work on Allegiant Stadium moves on.

Sisolak mandated all hotel-casino properties close for 30 days while encouraging all other nonessential business to shut down for that duration. Construction projects like the stadium, Circa Resort and Resorts World, not specifically named, are apparently allowed to remain active.

An email released by the governor’s office outlining the essential and nonessential businesses says guidelines for construction, mining and manufacturing industries are going to be made by the state Department of Business and Industry. Those will include “strong protocols for social distancing,” the email states.

Treasurer of the Laborers Local 872 and former Las Vegas Stadium Authority Board member Tommy White said he was on the conference call when they were told that construction was part of the essential business list. White also confirmed the Nevada State Contractors Board sent out a note alerting stadium trade partners that the stadium project was not impacted by the non-essential business shutdown.

“Construction in all areas of the state is essential, not just the stadium,” White said.

Las Vegas Stadium Authority Chairman Steve Hill, who also serves as CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said late last week that there is no concern of the coronavirus outbreak affecting the stadium’s scheduled completion date of July 31.

“Although we don’t have any experience with the coronavirus, I cannot envision a situation where the coronavirus would impact the construction of the stadium,” Hill told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Around 1 p.m. Wednesday, crews could be seen working all around the stadium, carrying out signage work and a bevy of other tasks.

The project is currently over 85 percent complete with $1.4 billion of the $1.97 billion project budget expended, according to the January monthly stadium report provided by the stadium authority.

Some residents have voiced concern about the project employing in excess of 2,000 people and how such a large workforce could be prime for possibly spreading the new coronavirus.

Hill said that with a project site as large as the stadium, social distancing recommendations of maintaining at least 6 feet between each person can be easily carried out.

“Being outside helps a lot,” Hill said. “These construction sites are huge. On a huge construction site like this … that (social distancing) should not be an impact felt on a construction site.”

Representatives from the Raiders were not immediately available for comment.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.