A former patch of dirt in Las Vegas desert now is one of the world’s best entertainment venues.
MGM Resorts International and AEG on Wednesday formally opened the $365 million T-Mobile Arena, which the two partnered to built using only private funds and local labor.
“Two years ago, this was a patch of dirt,” MGM Resorts International Chairman Jim Murren said. Now, it’s a world-class entertainment facility and the most environmentally friendly arena in the world.
While building the arena, Murren said “it was very important to continue to carry forward our core values” of diversity, inclusion, sustainability, and environmental stewardship.
“When we build, we only build ‘green,’” Murren said, and announced the arena earned a prestigious Gold Certification for sustainability making it among the most environmentally friendly arenas in the world.
Located east of the Las Vegas Strip and between the New York-New York and Monte Carlo casinos, T-Mobile Arena is the culmination of the partnership between MGM Resorts International and global entertainment giant AEG.
“There is no better partner than MGM,” AEG President and CEO Dan Beckerman said.
MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren addresses special guests and media during Wednesday’s formal opening of T-Mobile Arena and Toshiba Plaza.
Beckerman said MGM and AEG are “likeminded companies” and focused on creating exciting new opportunities for entertainment and economic success, while also emphasizing sustainability and environmental responsibility.
“We’ve always had our eye on Las Vegas,” Beckerman said. “T-Mobile Arena now is a destination for the best talent in the world.”
AEG has built 120 arenas and entertainment facilities around the world, and Beckerman says T-Mobile bests them all. It’s the most modern, luxurious, and environmentally friendly facility it has built.
While building the arena, Beckerman said only locally employed union workers numbering some 3,500 worked on the construction site.
Clark County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak commended MGM and AEG for using only locally sourced labor and private funding to build the arena, adding: “That says a lot about MGM and AEG.”
T-Mobile Arena’s locally sourced theme continued with The Killers, Wayne Newton, and Shamir, all of them Las Vegas roots, performing on opening night. The Killers headlined the sold out show Tuesday night, and a fireworks display capped the gala evening.
The arena is the potential home site of an NHL expansion team, and Beckerman announced the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings already agreed to play two games at the arena.
One of three free performance stages at Toshiba Plaza provides ample entertainment for Las Vegas locals and tourists, alike.
Outside of T-Mobile Arena is Toshiba Plaza which has up to three performance stages where bands and other performers provide free entertainment. Toshiba Plaza also contains several pieces of public art that represent the types of events scheduled at the arena, including crossed Gibson guitars, a pair of hockey sticks, and a giant boxing glove, which visitors can use for photo opportunities.
Located just north of the Toshiba Plaza is MGM’s three-acre The Park outdoor gathering place where visitors can admire artwork, play bag-toss, and enjoy food and beverages. The Park is a controlled microclimate so it is breezy, shaded, and relatively cool.
Whether attending a show at T-Mobile Arena, hanging out at The Park, or taking in a free show at Toshiba Plaza, visitors certainly would agree: MGM and AEG have carved yet another likely success out of the hardscrabble desert floor.
