Las Vegas Arena Will Be Built To Lure NHL, NBA
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LAS VEGAS — Casino giant Harrah’s Entertainment announced yesterday it is partnering with AEG, the company that brought David Beckham to the Los Angeles Galaxy, to build a 20,000-seat arena capable of housing an NBA or NHL team.
The arena, behind the Bally’s and Paris hotel-casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, is projected to open in 2010. It’s a step toward attracting a pro sports franchise to a city that has tried to convince reluctant league officials to look past its legalized sports betting.
“This arena is being developed with the capability of hosting an NHL or NBA franchise from day one,” said Timothy Leiweke, the president and chief executive of AEG, which owns the Galaxy and the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
“We continue to have productive conversations with potential owners and are optimistic that either basketball or hockey, or both, will be played in Las Vegas when the venue opens,” he said in a statement.
