Price of a single seat at the proposed Las Vegas MLS stadium stands extremely high, at $8,300. Reasons seem unclear as investors drop retractable roof from the project.

The city of Las Vegas and private investors Cordish Co. and Findlay Sports & Entertainment reached a consensus about future stadium financing. A non-binding term sheet that details how and where a stadium for a potential MLS team would be built.

Rendering: Findlay Sports and Entertainment Group

Total cost of the project stands at $410 million, of which 31% would be covered from taxpayers’ money. That sum covers infrastructure upgrades, price of issuing bonds and acquiring the MLS license, leaving roughly $200 million for the stadium. This value is the maximum of what in July was suggested to cost $150-200 million.

However, one significant change was made to the detailed stadium concept released by Findlay this week. The arena no longer has a retractable roof despite cost estimation staying the same.

This means that even if an air-conditioning system remains part of the scheme, it may prove ineffective with the stadium being open-air regardless of weather. Meanwhile summer games at the Mojave Desert, with temperatures reaching or exceeding 40°C (100 °F) are a major concern.

Rendering: Findlay Sports and Entertainment Group