The nearly two billion dollar stadium built next to the famous Las Vegas strip and home of the Raiders is approaching the finish line amid a pandemic that has impacted tax revenues and worker health.
Stadium authorities got together for a virtual meeting and provided the first sizable update on the massive project, Thursday.
COVID-19 CASES...AMONG WORKERS..AND...SET BACKS WITH THE ROOF"ALLEGIANT STADIUM"...IS STILL ON BUDGET...AND ON TIME.THANKS FOR JOINING US...I'M TRICIA KEAN.AND I'M TODD QUINONES.THE MASSIVE NEARLY 2 BILLIONDOLLAR PROJECT..WENT UNDER THE MICROSCOPETODAY..LETS GET OVER TO 13INVESTIGATES REPORTER JOEBARTELS..LIVE AT ALLEGIANTSTADIUM...WITH ALL OF THE NEWDEVELOPMENTS..JOE?WORK CONTINUES NON STOP..AND AROUND THE CLOCK..IN JUST 72 DAYS..FROM RIGHT NOW..ALLEGIANT STADIUM..WILL BE OPEN FOR BUSINESS..THAT'S THE WORD FROMAUTHORITIES..AND WE HAVE A LOOK INSIDE ATWHAT'S FINISHED..TAKE A LOOK..RAIDER NATION..THE BRAND NEW..NEARLY 2 BILLION DOLLARPROJECT..
IS ALMOST DONE..VIDEO PROVIDED TO 13INVESTIGATES..SHOWS THE SUITES AND CLUBLEVEL..ARE IN THE FINISHING STAGES..RESTROOMS..AND CONCESSION STANDS ARENEARLY DONE..FIVE MASSIVE VIDEO BOARDSSCATTERED AROUND THE FACILITYARE INSTALLED.THE STATE OF THE ART SOUNDSYSTEM SPEAKERS HAVE BEENHOISTED INTO PLACE..THE AL DAVIS..ETERNAL FLAME TORCH...WHICH SPANS TWO CONCOURSES..ISA WORK IN PROGRESS...AND THE SIGNATURE REAL GRASSFIELD WHICH ROLLS FROMOUTSIDE..INTO THE STADIUM FOR GAMEDAY..
IS DONE.."THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC HASUP AND A DAILY LIFE AND MADE ANREMAINS ON TRACK FORSUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION OF USCONSTRUCTION ON JULY 31." IN A VIRTUAL MEETINGTHURSDAY..STADIUM AUTHORITY MEMBERSADDRESSED THE PANDEMIC ELEPHANTIN THE ROOM..COVID-19 HAS PRESENTED..A CONSTRUCTION HURDLE..NO ONE SAW COMING."CONCERNS THAT WERE LABORRELATED EARLY ON IN THECOVID-19 CRISIS HAVE APPARENTLYBEEN MITIGATED AND JONES LANGLASALLE HAVE INDICATED THATWORK REMAINS CONSISTENT, THATTHEY HAVE INCREASED THE NUMBEROF SHIFTS FROM 2 TO 3 IN MANYCASES AND THAT THERE HAS BEENRAPID REPLACEMENT WHEREIDENTIFIED VACANCIES EXISTED." JUST WEEKS AGO..13 INVESTIGATES REPORTED..AT LEAST 7 WORKERS HADCONTRACTED COVID-19..AND AN UNSPECIFIED NUMBER OFNEW CASES, MOSTLY INVOLVINGELECTRICANS AT THE SITE..HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED..WORK HAS NOW BEEN SPREAD OUTOVER MULTIPLE SHIFTS..TO ACCOMODATE SOCIALDISTANCING."ROOM TAX REVENUE WAS TRENDINGPOSITIVELY IN FEBRUARYINCLUDING SUBSTANTIAL INCREASEOVERALL, HOWEVER ROOM TAXREVENUES CERTAINLY REFLECT THEEFFECTS OF COVID-19 AND OTHERECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS THATWE'VE SEEN IN THE MARKET ACROSSNEVADA." EVEN WITH ROOM TAX..PLUMMETING TO NEXT TONOTHING...SINCE THE COVID-19SHUTDOWN..THE STADIUM REMAINS ON SOLIDFINANCIAL FOOTING..THE PROJECT WAS ALREADY MORETHAN 80 PERCENT PAID FOR..WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT...THERE'S ALSO DEBT SAFEGUARDACCOUNTS..EARNED CASH INTEREST ON THOSEACCOUNTS...AND PERSONAL SEAT LICENSES..OR PSL'S HELPED BUOY THEFINANCES..."PERSONAL SEAT LICENSEAGREEMENTS HAVE TOTALED $549.2MILLION OR 31.4% OF TOTALFORCED ENGINEERS BACK TO THEDRAWING BOARD...IS NOW IN PLACE..WITHOUT ANYMORE TROUBLES.SOME MORE GOOD NEWS..THE SCHEDULING TROUBLES WITHUNLV AND THE RAIDERS..HAVE BEEN WORKED OUT..THERE WERE TWO GAMES INQUESTION..WHICH MIGHT HAVE FORCED..UNLV BACK TO SAM BOYD STADIUM..BUT SCHEDULING HAS WORKED OUT.THIS PLACE..IS SET FOR A JULY 31STOPENING.REPORTING LIVE JOE BARTELS 13ACTION NEWS.NEW INFORMATION TONIGHT...CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT