MLB Oakland A’s Roll The Dice Again, With Bally’s, For $1.5B Las Vegas Stadium

By Barry Janoff

Image: Oakland A'sUPDATED June 6, 2023: AP Sports: A plan to help build a stadium for the Oakland A’s in Las Vegas is in flux after Nevada lawmakers adjourned their four-month legislative session.

The future of the contentious bill is now uncertain after the Legislature did not advance it before the midnight deadline as Monday turned to Tuesday. The proposal could potentially be considered in a special legislative session at a date to be determined later, where lawmakers would later vote on it.

In a statement, Nev. Gov. Joe Lombardo said he would call a special session later Tuesday morning, where he would set the agenda for legislative priorities. Full story here.

UPDATED May 26, 2023: Even though there has been no official approval from the state of Nevada or MLB, the Oakland A’s now seem certain that their move to Las Vegas will happen.

The team today unveiled the first conceptual rendering of their projected 30,000-seat venue with a partially retractable roof, intended to be built on land at the corner of Tropicana Ave. and Las Vegas Blvd. on a portion of the site currently occupied by the Tropicana Hotel.

The A’s this month signed a deal with Bally’s Corp. and a a “binding agreement” with Bally’s Corp., in conjunction with Gaming & Leisure Properties, Inc., to build a ballpark on a portion of the current Tropicana Las Vegas property.

Bally's and GLPI said they would “assign approximately nine acres of the 35-acre site located on Las Vegas Blvd. and Tropicana Ave. to the Oakland Athletics or a related stadium authority.”

If financing and necessary approvals are secured, the stadium could open for the 2027 MLB season.

The design of the ballpark is being overseen by Brad Schrock KC Architecture, Kansas City, MO.

UPDATED May 24, 2023: Ten days after ownership of the Oakland A’s signed a “binding agreement” with Bally’s Corp., in conjunction with Gaming & Leisure Properties, Inc., to build a ballpark on a portion of the current Tropicana Las Vegas property, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo today unveiled a tentative agreement between his office, the A’s organization, state treasurer Zach Conine and Clark County officials “to forward a bill for consideration by the Nevada Legislature that would bring Major League Baseball to the Las Vegas Strip.”

“This agreement follows months of negotiations between the state, the county, and the A’s, and I believe it gives us a tremendous opportunity to continue building on the professional sports infrastructure of southern Nevada,” Lombardo said via his office. “Las Vegas is clearly a sports town, and Major League Baseball should be a part of it.”

The tentative agreement is “being drafted into legislation that will be introduced in the Nevada Legislature in the coming days to be publicly debated and considered.”

It needs approval from both the state Senate and Assembly.

Image: Oakland A'sThe Governor’s office said the tentative agreement “includes the creation of a Sports and Entertainment Improvement District for a planned 30,000-seat, publicly owned, retractable roof stadium located on the southeast corner of Las Vegas Blvd. and Tropicana Ave.

“Construction is estimated at $1.5 billion and will create more than 14,000 construction jobs.”

The A’s are asking for nearly $400 million in public support from the Nevada Legislature, according to industry analysts.

Although specific finances were not revealed, the Governor’s office said “as part of the proposed legislation, the public-private partnership includes public financing constituting less than 25% of the cost, making it the third-lowest public share of cost for the 14 Major League Baseball stadiums built this century”

“This tentative agreement minimizes the risk to Nevada taxpayers in the most fiscally responsible manner,” Nevada State Treasurer Zach Conine said via the Governor’s office. “I’m also pleased that this project will leverage the most private investment of any baseball stadium in the country.”

If financing and necessary approvals are secured, the stadium could open for the 2027 MLB season.

“We’re very appreciative of the support from the State of Nevada and Clark County's leadership,” A’s president Dave Kaval said via the team.

“We want to thank Governor Lombardo, the Legislative leadership, the Treasurer, and Clark County Commissioners and staff on the collaborative process. We look forward to advancing this legislation in a responsible way.”

The A’s said earlier this month they signed an agreement with the Culinary Union, which represents more than 60,000 workers in are around the Las Vegas area, “which guarantees that A’s workers have the right to organize and negotiate union contracts.”

UPDATED May 18, 2023: The Nevada Independent: Nevada lawmakers have not yet introduced legislation to bring the Oakland A’s to Las Vegas because they are only willing to contribute up to $195 million in transferable tax credits for stadium construction funding, not the full $395 million the team is seeking,

State and county sources with knowledge of the situation said the delay in introducing legislation can be partially attributed to the A’s flip-flopping on multiple stadium sites, which has left lawmakers without a concrete proposal. Full story here.

May 15, 2023: The third time might be the charm for the Oakland A’s, which today unveiled a “binding agreement” with Bally’s Corp., in conjunction with Gaming & Leisure Properties, Inc., to build a ballpark on a portion of the current Tropicana Las Vegas property.

Bally's and GLPI said they would “assign approximately nine acres of the 35-acre site located on Las Vegas Blvd. and Tropicana Ave. to the Oakland Athletics or a related stadium authority.”

If financing and necessary approvals are secured, the stadium could open for the 2027 MLB season.

"We are excited about the potential to bring Major League Baseball to this iconic location,” Oakland A's president Dave Kaval said via the team.

“We are thrilled to work alongside Bally's and GLPI, and look forward to finalizing plans to bring the Athletics to Southern Nevada."

According to Bally’s and the A’s, the new proposed venue would “accommodate approximately 30,000 fans and is expected to welcome more than 2.5 million fans and visitors annually.” It would have a partially retractable roof.

The project is expected to cost about $1.5 billion, and the A’s are asking for nearly $400 million in public support from the Nevada Legislature, which could vote on a proposal this week, according to AP Sports.

Bally's president George Papanier said via the company that the Tropicana, on the site of the proposed stadium “has been a landmark of Las Vegas for generations (but that) the development and ballpark built in its place will become a new landmark, paying homage to the iconic history and global appeal of Las Vegas and its nearly 50 million visitors a year."

GLPI said it has “agreed to fund up to $175 million toward certain shared improvements within the future development in exchange for a commensurate rent increase.”

The deal is “subject to the passing of legislation for public financing and related agreements, and approval of relocation by Major League Baseball.,” according to Bally’s and the A’s.

Regarding MLB, commissioner Rob Manfred said as recently as last month during an Associated Press sports editors conference, “I feel sorry for the fans in Oakland. I really do . . . We have shown an unbelievable commitment to the fans in Oakland by exhausting every possible opportunity to try to get something done in Oakland.

“Unfortunately, the government doesn’t seem to have the will to get it done.”

The A’s and team owner John Kelly had previously been part of an arrangement with Station Casino to acquire property for a proposed ballpark site near Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium.

The MLB team had also been in an arrangement to build a $1.2 billion waterfront ballpark development project at Oakland’s Howard Terminal.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, “The Oakland A’s . . .  let their exclusive negotiating contract for land at Howard Terminal expire Saturday morning, leaving them with no further ties to the 55-acre property in the middle of Oakland’s industrial seaport that had until recently been slated for a large-scale development guided by the team.”

The A’s have played in the Oakland Coliseum, which opened in September 1966 since September 1968 after the franchise relocated from Kansas City. It can hold upward of 57,000 for baseball.

It was also home to the NFL’s Oakland Raiders from 1966-81 (when the team moved to Los Angeles) and 1995-2019, when the team returned to Oakland and then moved to Allegiant Stadium.

"The ballpark will become a new landmark, paying homage to the iconic history and global appeal of Las Vegas."

The A’s currently lease at the Oakland Coliseum expires after the 2024 MLB season.

If a renewal is not negotiated, the team would seek other options, including playing in Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the A’s Triple-A Minor League team Las Vegas Aviators.

That venue opened in 2019 and can hold upward of 12,000 people.

Through the early part of the 2023 season, the A's are averaging fewer than 10,000 fans per game, last in MLB.

“Their attendance has never been outstanding, let’s put it that way,” Manfred said during the Associated Press sports editors conference.

“To me, it ought to be all positive on the competitive front. You got really smart baseball operations people. You got owners that want to win, and I think Las Vegas will present a real revenue enhancing opportunity. So I think you’re going to have a good product.”

Vote Means A’s Could Stay In Oakland

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