AEG opts to do own arena plan

The city has whittled six proposals for a downtown arena down to four, according to an industry report.

Meanwhile a major company in the arena industry said it is moving ahead with its own, separate arena plan outside downtown Las Vegas. AEG, which owns and runs the Staples Center in Los Angeles, dropped out of the city’s process for selecting an arena developer for unknown reasons.

Spokesman Michael Roth said: “We decided we would pursue the opportunity to build the arena with our own plan. We are going to be under construction in a year and expect to be open in 2010.”

Roth would not elaborate .

Clark County Chairman Rory Reid met with AEG’s president and chief executive, Tim Leiweke, about two months ago, said county spokesman Dan Kulin. He said Reid agreed not to discuss details of the conversation publicly.

Mayor Oscar Goodman has long pined for a downtown arena to replace the aging Thomas & Mack Center and host a professional sports team.

Reid and Goodman stood together to announce a task force aimed at building a new arena. But the city has been on its own in its latest efforts.

Las Vegas put out a public request for proposals for a downtown arena, offering a potential property tax rebate and land downtown.

Six teams responded last week. But Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal reported Monday that the city is only considering the proposals from Medallion Financial; Paradigm Sports & Resorts; Raul Walters Properties; and a joint proposal from REI Neon and Warburg Pincus.

The publication quotes the city’s consultant, Bill Rhoda of Convention, Sports and Leisure International.

Rhoda denied Tuesday that he told the publication that the field had been narrowed. He would neither confirm nor deny that only those four proposals are being considered.

A committee will meet on July 12 and 13 to review the proposals. The council is expected to choose the “preferred developer” at its July 18 meeting. The city has been silent about the proposals and said it would not release them until after the council makes its decision.