Mayor of Las Vegas pushes downtown project

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- The mayor of Las Vegas said a multimillion-dollar development plan is aimed at keeping tourists spending in the city's struggling downtown district.

Despite the recession, Mayor Oscar Goodman has plans for a new city hall, a 47-story, 1,000-room resort casino, and new commercial and residential space -- a project that may cost taxpayers as much as $267 million, The New York Times reported Monday.

"I think we would be cheating our future if we stopped projects because of tough economic times," Goodman said.

"During the Great Depression, three buildings were built in New York City: the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and Rockefeller Center," he told the Times.

But Culinary Local 226 is opposed to the plan, the Times reported. The 55,000-member union has collected signatures to put two project-blocking referendums in place for a vote in June.

Many of Las Vegas's famous resorts are outside the city limits on the "Strip."

"Half the people who come to visit come downtown. The trick is to keep them downtown and spending downtown," Goodman said.