\n Posted on: April 13, 2026, 08:08h.\u00a0\n <\/p>\n
\n Last updated on: April 14, 2026, 12:04h.\n <\/p>\n
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- Starr Vegas is a new $10 billion proposal for an NBA-ready arena 2 miles south of the Las Vegas Strip<\/strong><\/li>\n
- The 63-acre site would include a basketball arena, retractable-roof soccer stadium and<\/em> a casino<\/strong><\/li>\n
- The project marks the seventh site currently competing to host a Las Vegas NBA franchise<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
A new contender has stepped into Las Vegas\u2019 increasingly crowded NBA expansion sweepstakes. Starr Vegas Development is pitching a $10 billion sports\u2011anchored resort district, including two sports venues and a casino with a sportsbook. It\u2019s to be situated on 63 acres on the southwest corner of West Starr Avenue and South Las Vegas Boulevard, 1.7 miles south of the Welcome to Las Vegas sign.<\/p>\n
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An artist\u2019s rendering of the Starr Vegas Arena. (Image: Starr Vegas Development)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The project was announced on Monday, just weeks after the NBA\u2019s Board of Governors voted unanimously to begin formally exploring expansion bids for Las Vegas and Seattle, opening the door for ownership groups to present arena proposals and long\u2011term development visions.<\/p>\n
CEO Chuck Haifley framed the project as a purpose\u2011built home for the city\u2019s next major franchise.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are building world\u2011class facilities for soccer, basketball, concerts, combat sports and more \u2014 the future home of professional sports in Las Vegas,\u201d he said in the project\u2019s announcement.<\/p>\n
According to the development group, Starr Vegas has already secured $6 billion in funding toward the $10 billion buildout. The partnership includes longtime Southern Nevada land figures Larry Canarelli and K. Roohani, along with Lou Weisbach, who is simultaneously involved in a competing stadium proposal for the Chicago Bears.<\/p>\n
Hoop Dreams<\/h2>\n
The plans include not only a 25,000\u2011seat indoor basketball and concert arena designed specifically for NBA and WNBA use, but also a 50,000\u2011seat covered soccer and concert stadium with a retractable roof and Strip\u2011facing sightlines.<\/p>\n
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A composite photo shows the proposed NBA arena lot at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard South and West Starr Avenue, both from street (above) and aerial perspectives. (Images: Google Street View and Google Earth)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Also included would be a casino and sportsbook and the Big Vision Tower \u2014 a rooftop dome venue for up to 1,000 guests with full broadcast integration. (It would share a name with Haifley\u2019s long\u2011running production, broadcast, and equipment\u2011rental company.)<\/p>\n
Surrounding the venues would be a cultural district featuring the Don King boxing museum, a Las Vegas Combat Sports Hall of Fame, comedy theaters, Broadway\u2011style productions, and a proprietary ticketing platform called Starr Tickets.<\/p>\n
Residential towers, retail, office space, and hotels would round out the master plan, which Haifley says is designed to relieve congestion on the Strip by creating a new southern hub for sports and entertainment.<\/p>\n
The group is actively inviting conversations with NBA and MLS ownership groups, as well as existing Las Vegas franchises seeking upgraded homes. (Hello, Aces!)<\/p>\n
Haifley claims the timing is ideal, pointing to the planned Brightline West high\u2011speed rail station and the long\u2011term possibility of a supplemental airport as catalysts for transforming the southern valley into the city\u2019s next major development corridor.<\/p>\n
Crowded Court<\/strong><\/h2>\n
But Starr Vegas enters a competitive landscape. Here are the six other NBA arena proposals in various stages of planning. We placed them in order of how likely we think each is to win the finals:<\/p>\n
1. T-Mobile Arena: <\/strong>MGM Resorts International and AEG are pushing to upgrade Las Vegas\u2019 existing building so it can host basketball in addition to Vegas Golden Knights hockey. Though scheduling can be a challenge since the seasons of both leagues overlap for 175-180 days a year, 11 American arenas currently manage to host both NBA and NHL teams.<\/p>\n
2. Rio: <\/strong>In 2024, The Oak View Group \u2014 a leading global sports\u2011and\u2011entertainment development firm co\u2011founded by former AEG president Tim Leiweke and music supermanager\/former Ticketmaster CEO Irving Azoff \u2014 abandoned plans to build a $10 billion arena four miles south of the Strip, retraining their sights<\/a>\u00a0on the parking lot behind the off-Strip Rio.<\/p>\n
- The 63-acre site would include a basketball arena, retractable-roof soccer stadium and<\/em> a casino<\/strong><\/li>\n