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New Las Vegas Stadium

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The New Las Vegas Stadium is a future fixed roof ballpark to be built on the site of the former Tropicana Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is planned as the new home stadium of the Las Vegas Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB), after they complete their relocation from Oakland to Las Vegas.

New Las Vegas Stadium
An abstract building with multiple dome-shaped elements on its exterior. A casino hotel is visible in the background.
An artist's rendering of the stadium, as viewed from East Tropicana Avenue. The Excalibur is visible behind it.
Map
Location
Coordinates36°06′00″N 115°10′18″W / 36.10000°N 115.17167°W / 36.10000; -115.17167
OwnerLas Vegas Stadium Authority (LVSA)
OperatorLas Vegas Athletics
Capacity33,000
Acreage9 acres (3.6 ha)
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke groundApril 2025 (planned)
OpenedJanuary 2028 (planned)
Construction cost$1.5 billion
Architect
General contractorMortenson-McCarthy Joint Venture
Tenants
Las Vegas Athletics (MLB) (2028–)

The new stadium would mark the first time that the Athletics franchise has played in a new stadium of their own without another sports team tenant since the completion of Philadelphia's Shibe Park in 1909. It is proposed to open for the 2028 MLB season after the Athletics spend three seasons at West Sacramento's Sutter Health Park.

Background

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See also: Oakland Athletics relocation to Las Vegas

On May 11, 2021, Major League Baseball permitted the Oakland Athletics to explore relocation possibilities should the team fail to get a replacement stadium for the Oakland Coliseum from the city of Oakland by 2024 and among these relocation possibilities included the Las Vegas Valley.[1] In April 2023, negotiations between the City of Oakland and the Athletics organization for a new ballpark ended, with the team moving forward with a new $1.5 billion 35,000-seat retractable stadium initially at the former site of the Wild Wild West Gambling Hall & Hotel.[2] On May 4, Nevada governor Joe Lombardo announced a legislative package for the Athletics' proposed ballpark.[3][4] On May 9, the Athletics changed the proposal to a 30,000-seat partially retractable stadium on the site of the Tropicana Las Vegas, with plans to demolish the Tropicana and build a new 1,500-room hotel and casino. The project is expected to cost $1.5 billion.[5]

On May 26, the Athletics released renderings of the 33,000-seat ballpark in Las Vegas to the public designed by Schrock KC Architecture.[6] By May 29, the legislative package for the stadium known as SB509 was drafted in the Nevada Legislature for a potential vote though it wouldn't come until after Lombardo issued a special session on June 7 and was later renamed SB1. The legislative package was passed by a majority vote in the Legislature and signed into law by Lombardo on June 15.[7][8]

The new ballpark will be surrounded by a new Bally's Las Vegas which will be a 3,005 room integrated resort.[9]

Financing

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The stadium is estimated to cost $1.5 billion, of which $380 million would come from public funds and the rest coming from the private sector.[10]

In May 2024, the Athletics hired investment firm Galatiotio Sports Partners to raise $500 million for the ballpark.[11] By May 14, the Supreme Court of Nevada rejected Schools Over Stadiums' effort to put public funding for the ballpark on the ballot.[12]

History

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2023

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Three days after SB1 was approved, Bally's chairman Soo Kim told KTNV-TV that the Tropicana might not be razed for the ballpark until two years later into construction and that there was a scenario where part of the resort-casino could remain after the ballpark is complete. He also noted that the ballpark would include a new casino resort and a separate, adjacent sports-themed attraction.[13] On June 21, the Athletics officially began the process of relocation to Las Vegas through a relocation application to MLB being written up before being filed, submitted, and put to an owners' vote.[14]

Two weeks after the bill's approval, the Athletics revealed that Bally's would provide 3 to 4 more acres of land on the Tropicana for the ballpark with plans to hire a design architect, a construction firm and a project manager amidst concerns about its size and a statement from Clark County spokeswoman Jennifer Cooper saying her county can't issue $120 million yet until other agreements are finalized and the Athletics deposit $100 million in private money for the project.[15]

In July 2023, Steve Hill of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) revealed that the Athletics would not fully use $380 million in public funding to finance the new ballpark at the Tropicana. Instead, the team would use $340 million for the ballpark.[16] Two days later, Hill said that the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would meet on August 24 to detail the process of the Athletics relocation.[17] Brad Schrock, the head director of the Athletics' ballpark design, said that the project could have up to 33,000 seats.[18] By July 27, Schrock also revealed that the ballpark would turn four acres of its site into a plaza similar to T-Mobile Arena.[19] Additionally, the Athletics announced that they would select Gensler or the joint bid by HNTB (which participated in the construction of Allegiant Stadium, the current home of the National Football League's Las Vegas Raiders) and Bjarke Ingels Group as the design team for the ballpark by November for the new renderings with the latter previously involved in the scrapped Howard Terminal ballpark plans in Oakland.[20]

In August, Athletics president Dave Kaval revealed that the New Las Vegas Stadium would have a capacity of 33,000 seats as opposed to 30,000 in the initial plans.[21] On August 21, the Athletics announced that a joint venture between the Minneapolis-based Mortenson Company and McCarthy Building Companies would serve as the construction manager for the ballpark.[22]

In September, the Athletics hired Creative Artists Agency sub-division CAA ICON as the consulting firm for the ballpark in overseeing project management such as the architect and managers.[23] By September 13, the ballpark was announced to be climate-controlled and contain a retractable roof to allow for an open-air atmosphere and protect spectators from the heat.[24]

In October, the Las Vegas Stadium Authority revealed that construction for the new stadium was slated to tentatively begin in April 2025 with a completion date of January 2028 and a 30-year, rent-free lease for the Athletics along with the option for the team to buy the stadium and pay for all operations to maintain "facility standards".[25] The organization also voted to approve a $700,000 retainer for the law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP.[26]

In November, the MLB owners unanimously approved the Athletics' relocation to Las Vegas and paved the way for the stadium's construction. It will be the first time since 2019 that they and the Raiders play in the same city, although each team will now have its own separate venue instead of sharing the same one, as they did in Oakland. Additionally, the move will leave Oakland with no major league sports teams, as the National Basketball Association's Golden State Warriors have returned to San Francisco.[27]

2024

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By March, updated renderings of the ballpark were officially revealed to the public with a fixed roof inspired by baseball pennants, multi-tiered seating, the world's largest cable-net window facing Las Vegas Boulevard, a jumbotron, and a three-acre plaza with the design created by the Bjarke Ingels Group and HNTB respectively.[28][29]

On April 2, the Tropicana Las Vegas closed after 67 years of operation.[30]On October 9, 2024, the Tropicana Hotel was demolished by implosion, and site leveling efforts ensued.[31] Plans submitted to Clark County project three 495 foot hotel towers housing over 3,000 hotel rooms on the northeast and southwest corners of the lot, beside the 290-foot-tall stadium.[9]Construction on the ballpark is to begin in the spring of 2025.

In May 2024, the president of Las Vegas Events stated that the National Finals Rodeo could move to the new stadium once it is complete, pending further discussions. The annual December event had been held at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas since 1985.[32]

Transit

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The proposed stadium will be transit serviced by the Las Vegas Monorail MGM Grand Station.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Passan, Jeff (May 11, 2021). "Oakland Athletics to start looking at relocating elsewhere". ESPN. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  2. ^ Ackers, Mick (April 19, 2023). "Major-league deal: A's to purchase land near Strip for new ballpark". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  3. ^ Wright, Jarah (May 5, 2023). "A's package could be introduced to state lawmakers by the end of the month". KTNV-TV. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  4. ^ McCandless, C.C.; Schultz, Jaclyn (May 4, 2023). "Nevada governor creating A's ballpark bill, wants bill passed by end of session". KVVU-TV. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  5. ^ Stutz, Howard. "A's pivot to new site for Vegas baseball stadium, lowering public funding request". The Nevada Independent. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  6. ^ Akers, Mick (May 26, 2023). "A's Las Vegas Strip ballpark images released". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  7. ^ Golonka, Sean; Mueller, Tabitha; Solis, Jacob; Stutz, Howard (June 15, 2023). "Lombardo signs A's baseball stadium funding bill; relocation hurdles remain". The Nevada Independent.
  8. ^ "SB1". Nevada Legislature. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Akers, Mick (October 16, 2024). "A's Las Vegas ballpark may be flanked by Bally's towers". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  10. ^ Stern, Gabe (May 30, 2023). "Economic boost or big business hand-out? Nevada lawmakers consider A's stadium financing". AP News.
  11. ^ Anderson, BJ (May 1, 2024). "A's hire investment firm to help raise $500 million for new Las Vegas stadium, per report". CBS Sports.
  12. ^ Stern, Gabriel (May 14, 2024). "Nevada Supreme Court rejects teachers union-backed appeal to put A's public funding on '24 ballot". Associated Press.
  13. ^ Horwarth, Bryan (June 19, 2023). "Bally's Executive: Tropicana likely won't be touched for up to 2 years". KTNV.
  14. ^ Akers, Mick (June 21, 2023). "A's begin relocation application process with MLB". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  15. ^ Stutz, Howard (June 29, 2023). "Amid questions over stadium size, A's move to Vegas slowed by relocation vote". The Nevada Independent. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  16. ^ Akers, Mick (July 13, 2023). "A's not likely to use all $380M coming their way for Vegas ballpark". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  17. ^ Akers, Mick (July 30, 2023). "A's to Vegas: What's next in the relocation process?". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  18. ^ Akers, Mick (July 26, 2023). "A's Vegas ballpark capacity could be more than 30K". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  19. ^ Akers, Mick (July 30, 2023). "A's want Las Vegas ballpark plaza to have elements of T-Mobile". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  20. ^ Akers, Mick (July 30, 2023). "Open-air feel challenge for A's Las Vegas ballpark design". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  21. ^ Stutz, Howard (August 15, 2023). "A's president: Ownership to fund 'one of the largest equity contributions ever' for Las Vegas stadium". The Nevada Independent.
  22. ^ "A's select Mortenson McCarthy as Construction Manager for Las Vegas Ballpark" (Press release). Mortenson. August 21, 2023.
  23. ^ Akers, Mick (September 7, 2023). "A's hire Las Vegas ballpark project consulting firm". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  24. ^ Horwath, Brian (September 13, 2023). "How we got here and what's next for the Oakland Athletics in their bid to build a ballpark on the Vegas Strip". KTNV-TV.
  25. ^ Schultz, Jaclyn (October 26, 2023). "Construction timeline for proposed A's Las Vegas ballpark detailed in lease docs". KVVU-TV.
  26. ^ Harrison, Casey (October 26, 2023). "Stadium authority takes major step toward new Las Vegas ballpark". Las Vegas Sun.
  27. ^ Passan, Jeff (November 16, 2023). "MLB owners approve Athletics' planned move to Las Vegas". ESPN. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  28. ^ "A's unveil new renderings for ballpark in Las Vegas". MLB.com. March 5, 2024.
  29. ^ Akers, Mick (March 5, 2024). "Updated A's Las Vegas ballpark renderings revealed". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  30. ^ Yamat, Rio (April 2, 2024). "The Tropicana Las Vegas, a mob-era casino and Sin City landmark, closes after 67 years". Associated Press.
  31. ^ Yamat, Rio (October 8, 2024). "This mob-era Las Vegas casino is officially closed. Here are some big moments in its 67 years". AP News. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  32. ^ Akers, Mick (May 22, 2024). "Could the NFR shift to A's Las Vegas ballpark?". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
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