The Athletics has released the first renderings of its proposed new ballpark in Las Vegas, which features a partially retractable roof and a seating capacity of 30,000.
The ballpark will span nine acres on the site of the Tropicana Las Vegas resort at the south end of the Strip.
“We are excited to share our vision for the potential new home of the A’s,” said A’s President Dave Kaval in a statement. “As the first concept design, we will continue to refine the look of the ballpark over the next year. We hope our project will go beyond a traditional baseball stadium and serve as a catalyst for community development and engagement.
Earlier this month, the A’s reached an agreement with Bally’s Corp. – a gaming, betting and entertainment company – to build a $1.5 billion stadium in Las Vegas. The team announced in April that it had signed a ‘binding agreement’ to build on a 49-acre site owned by Red Rock Resorts, near Allegiant Stadium and the Strip, in hopes of having a new stadium ready to start the 2027 season.
As part of the previously announced deal, the team was seeking $500 million in public funding for the $1.5 billion project. The new deal is expected to reduce that number to $395 million, according to reports.
On Wednesday, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo announced that a tentative agreement had been reached between his office, the athletics organization, Treasurer Zach Conine and Clark County officials to introduce a bill to funding to move the MLB team to Las Vegas. The bill is being drafted for submission to Nevada lawmakers for review and approval, according to a news release.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday in Milwaukee that a vote on the potential Athletics decision could take place as early as June 13-15 when MLB owners meet in New York.
When asked if there was any chance the team could stay in Oakland, Manfred replied, “You should ask the mayor.”
“(Mayor Sheng Thao) said she halted negotiations after an announcement made in Las Vegas. I don’t have a crystal ball to know where something is going,” Manfred said. “No final deal was only concluded in Las Vegas. We’ll have to see how that goes.
After the April announcement, Thao apparently shut the door on the team to sign a new stadium deal in his current city.
“I am deeply disappointed that the A’s have chosen not to negotiate with the City of Oakland as a true partner, in a way that respects the long relationship between the fans, the city and the team,” Thao said. in a statement at the time. . “In times of budget deficits, I refuse to compromise the safety and well-being of our residents. Given these realities, we are ceasing negotiations and moving forward with alternatives for the redevelopment of the Howard Terminal.
Las Vegas will be the franchise’s fourth city if the proposed relocation takes place. The A’s played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954 and Kansas City from 1955 to 1967 before moving to Oakland in 1968.
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(Top photo: Courtesy of Oakland Athletics)
