CARSON CITY --For North Las Vegas, it could be the deal of a lifetime.
Today the Nevada Legislature will begin working out the details of an incentive deal for Faraday Future to build a $1 billion electric car plant in the city's Apex Industrial Park.
By most accounts of lawmakers, the deal should pass. It will create thousands of jobs. The incentive package being considered would cost about $315 million -- about $115 million to build water, roads and other utilities at the industrial park. And another $200 million in benchmarked tax abatements over 15 years.
There are strings attached to those incentives, according to KUNR reporter Julia Ritchey.
"Workforce development is a huge component of this deal, like it was for Telsa," she said. "They'll be required to have half of their workforce be residents of Nevada. I talked to Senate Minority Aaron Ford yesterday and he is pushing a diversity component as well, within the workforce bill."
Several sources in Carson City Wednesday said already two major developers want to follow in Faraday Future's footsteps. That includes Google, which sources say wants to put a massive data storage center there.
It also includes developers who want to construct a 4-million-square-foot greenhouse. The greenhouse, the developers hope, would grow vegetables hydroponically and be the main source of fresh produce for Strip casinos.
But like anything related to politics and government, it’s going to take time.
So the first day of the special session of the Nevada Legislature was an uneventful one. At least, in the Chambers of the Senate and Assembly.
The halls of the state Legislative building in Carson City were abuzz with activity. More than 100 paid lobbyists registered for the session. And though government wheels turn very slowly, much of the talk was how potential construction of a $1 billion auto plant could change North Las Vegas and southern Nevada
State Assemblyman Paul Anderson, R-Las Vegas, said he doesn't anticipate a unanimous "yes" vote. And many questions exist. Where's the water going to come from? Is Faraday Future legitimate? What if it flops?
But Anderson said the plant could change the face of North Las Vegas, and the region, forever.
"Well, it’s a significant anchor development for us," Anderson said. "The Apex Industrial Park is our only last big piece of land we can develop out for industrial use and for southern Nevada, this could be a game changer.”
Assembly Speaker John Hambrick, R-Las Vegas, said he hoped a deal would be worked out by the end of the day Friday.
Political columnist Steve Sebelius told KNPR's State of Nevada that it will be difficult to say no to the deal, but the lawmakers who do will do it for a philosophical reason.
"The only opposition we have heard is philosophical opposition to concept of tax incentives in general and that's coming Southern Nevada lawmakers who are part of the Republican caucus," he said.
Julia Ritchey, reporter, KUNR; Steve Sebelius, columnist, Las Vegas Review-Journal;
