Design & Development

Oakland A’s Vegas ballpark bill not passed by Nevada lawmakers

Featured image credit: Oakland Athletics

Lawmakers in Nevada have adjourned their four-month legislature session, delaying a bill that will help deliver a new 30,000-seat stadium in Las Vegas for Major League Baseball team the Oakland Athletics.

The deadline for the bill passed last night with no deal having been struck. The proposal could still be considered in a special legislative session at a later date, the Associated Press reported.

Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo announced last month that a tentative agreement had been reached with the A’s to relocate the team to Las Vegas. It came after the A’s reached a binding agreement with Bally’s Corporation and Gaming & Leisure Properties Inc. (GLPI) to build a new ballpark on the Tropicana hotel site.

The A’s had previously signed a binding agreement with Red Rock Resorts to build a new ballpark on a 49-acre site at Dean Martin Drive and Tropicana Avenue. The decision to switch focus was said to revolve around the A’s seeking to reduce the project’s dependency on public funding from the Nevada Legislature, from $500m (£403m/€468m) to $395m.

Lombardo confirmed last month that construction of the new stadium is estimated to cost $1.5bn. The amount of public funding that will be required was not specified, although it is reported to be $380m – $180m in transferable tax credits and $120m in county bonds.

In a statement released in the early hours of this (Tuesday) morning, Lombardo said a special session would be called for later today to set the agenda for legislative priorities. If a public financing agreement is reached, the relocation of the A’s from Oakland to Las Vegas would still require approval from Major League Baseball team owners.

The A’s unveiled the first renderings of the proposed Las Vegas ballpark last week. The stadium would feature a retractable roof and a playing surface that would allow the outfield to open to the corner of the Tropicana and Las Vegas Boulevard, providing views of the Strip.

It is also hoped that the stadium will serve as a hub for sports, entertainment and community engagement by hosting concerts and other events throughout the year. The A’s hope to break ground on the project next year, with a view to opening the stadium in time for the 2027 MLB season.