Las Vegas NBA Arena Race: Bold New Proposals Challenge T-Mobile's Bid to Host an Expansion Team

Las Vegas is about a year from the opening of the Athletics' new ballpark on the south end of the Strip. Yet another major sports venue is already being pitched as the city positions itself for a potential NBA expansion team.

Following the NBA's announcement last month that it will move forward with expansion bids for franchises in Las Vegas and Seattle, the debate over where, or whether, a new arena belongs has drawn competing visions from developers, analysts, and major casino operators. There are currently no firm plans for a new arena, even as expansion talk grows.

$10 Billion South Strip Development Pitches 25,000-Seat NBA Arena as Vegas Expansion Hub

Chuck Haifley, CEO of Starr Vegas Development Inc., is proposing a $10 billion sports, entertainment, and residential community on more than 63 acres along South Las Vegas Boulevard and Starr Avenue. With $6 billion already committed and the land in escrow, Haifley says this separates his proposal from prior arena plans that never materialized.

The 63-acre site would include a 25,000-seat basketball arena, expandable to 30,000, and a 50,000-seat soccer and concert stadium expandable to 60,000. "The future of Vegas is going south. That's why the train station is out there. That's why the new airport will be built in Jean," Haifley said.

Economic Analyst Makes the Case for a North Strip Arena Location

Not everyone sees the South Strip as the answer. Jeremy Aguero, a principal at Applied Analysis, the firm behind feasibility work on Allegiant Stadium and the A's ballpark, argues a northern location may make more strategic sense for a new NBA arena.

"You look at the gaps downtown. You look at the gaps at the north end of the Strip," Aguero said, noting any project must drive returns through hotels, casinos, restaurants, and retail. He also reaffirmed his confidence in existing venues, saying he would keep both T-Mobile Arena and Allegiant Stadium in their current locations, even if starting from scratch.

Las Vegas has no shortage of arena proposals, but the NBA's expansion decision may come down to whether the city builds something new or bets on what it already has.

MGM Resorts Says T-Mobile Arena Was Always Built for the NBA and No New Venue Is Required

MGM Resorts takes a different view entirely. Senior Vice President Dan Quinn argues that no new arena is needed. He says the T-Mobile Arena was purpose-built with the NBA in mind. "Outside of buildings that have been renovated in the last three years, I would think our facilities are on par, not better, than venues I currently call NBA teams home," Quinn said. "So yeah, I think we're absolutely capable of hosting an NBA team."

Quinn said that was always the intention behind the arena's design. "When we designed and built the arena, it's got full NBA facilities," he said.