In the State of the City address, Henderson Mayor Debra March hinted at the possibility of adding a new sports team.
“Very soon, we hope to be sharing exciting news about another major sports organization that might just be calling Henderson home,” March said. “We’ve got a great shot. So please stay tuned for more details.”
Henderson already claims the Silver Knights, who will be moving to the Henderson Events Center, and the Las Vegas Raiders practice facility.
A new sports organization could mean one of many possibilities. It could simply mean the Las Vegas Aces move to Henderson. The Aces currently play at Mandalay Bay, but were recently sold to Raiders owner Mark Davis. They might need (or want) a new home.
But it could also mean Henderson is looking at bringing a new team to the Las Vegas valley.
In 2018 the City of Henderson pitched the Arizona Diamondbacks on moving to the Las Vegas suburb. This pitch included renderings of a $1 billion retractable roof stadium that would be located near the Raiders practice facility on St. Rose Parkway.
Henderson could be cashing in on the Diamondbacks lease dispute with Maricopa county at Chase Field. But as of now, the Diamondbacks have a lease signed through 2028.
The other major professional sport to lure is the NBA. If Adam Silver and the league owners want a brand new NBA-only arena for an expansion team, Henderson could be in the mix. If the city is willing to spend $1 billion on a ballpark for MLB, surely they would also be interested in building an NBA arena.
The most recent NBA arena to open was Chase Center for the Warriors. That cost came in at $1.4 billion. But that is likely a higher amount than necessary for a new arena. The Bucks opened a new arena in 2018 that cost under $600 million.
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