Topline
The Oakland Athletics have agreed to build their new ballpark on the current site of the Tropicana hotel in Las Vegas, Bally’s Corp. announced Monday, less than a month after the team said it purchased land in a different Vegas location.
People watch a baseball game at Oakland Coliseum between the Oakland Athletics and the Texas Rangers … [+]
Key Facts
The 30,000-seat stadium will sit on 35 acres, replacing the Tropicana — which will be knocked down — and will cost $1.5 billion, and the A’s are hoping almost $400 million of that will come from public support from the Nevada legislature, the Associated Press reported.
The deal made with Bally’s Corp. and Gaming & Leisure Property, a real estate company that invests in casino properties, will bring the stadium within walking distance of fans staying on the Las Vegas strip.
While the 1950’s relic Tropicana hotel may be demolished if the deal goes through, Bally Corp. will have the option to build a hotel-casino on the remaining acreage, an unnamed source told the Las Vegas Review Journal.
A’s President Dave Kaval previously said he hoped to break ground on the ballpark next year and open in time for the 2027 season, but Monday’s announcement did not note a timeline for the new stadium.
Last month the A’s announced an agreement to build a stadium on a different location also on Tropicana Avenue, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal the location switch was prompted by traffic concerns on the busy Las Vegas strip.
The A’s, which have played in Oakland for 55 years, will be known as the Las Vegas A’s when the team makes their move.
Key Background
The A’s have faced a number of challenges with their Oakland location. The team has been looking for a new home as their current stadium, the Coliseum, is both outdated and run down, and the team has played there since 1968. Initially the team planned to build a stadium on the waterfront in Oakland, but last month when the Vegas agreement was announced it became clear the team was leaving California. And it’s not just the A’s the city has struggled to maintain other professional sports teams as well. The Oakland Raiders also left for Las Vegas in 2020 for a brand new $1.9 billion stadium. The Golden State Warriors left their Oakland stadium in 2019 for the $1.4 billion Chase Center in San Francisco. Meanwhile, game attendance in Oakland has continued to fall. In 2015, the A’s saw an average of 22,000 fans attending games, this year that number is less than 10,000, according to data compiled by ESPN.
Big Number
$1.18 billion. That’s how much the Oakland Athletics are valued at, according to Forbes’ list of MLB team valuations, making them 29th out of 30 teams.
Surprising Fact
This is not the first time the team has moved cities. The A’s started in Philadelphia in the early 1900’s, moved to Kansas City, Missouri, before landing in Oakland in the 1960’s. Las Vegas will be the team’s fourth city.
Further Reading
Oakland Losing 3rd Major Sports Team In 5 Years As A’s Sign Las Vegas Deal (Forbes)
Baseball’s Most Valuable Teams 2023: Price Tags Are Up 12% Despite Regional TV Woes (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/05/15/oakland-as-sign-new-deal-for-las-vegas-stadium/