The Las Vegas Athletics?

Yesterday there was a hearing before a judge asking him to throw out a lawsuit by the group that wants to keep the stadium in East Oakland on the current stadium grounds. The group filing the lawsuit also doesn't want it built at the Port facilities.

The A's have said they won't consider building a new stadium in East Oakland.

The judge didn't throw it out and gave the parties until Sept 2 to show more information. The lawsuit claims the approval process was rushed and inadequate that allowed the Terminal property to be rushed and not done according to state law.

I believe there are 2 other outstanding lawsuits that have to get settled in a few months. One is with the Railroad company. I can't imagine how much money the A's have spent on this project in 5 years.

 

I think A's fans in Oakland are getting nervous ....

A’s, Oakland miss key ballpark deadline; talks continue in Vegas
https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/as-oakland-miss-key-ballpark-deadline-talks-continue-in-vegas-2650794/

A key deadline to keep hope alive for Oakland officials and the Athletics to reach agreement on a new Bay Area ballpark by year’s end has come and gone.

That could be good news for Southern Nevada as the A’s are still discussing potential ballpark sites in Las Vegas should the Oakland plan fail and the team pursues relocation. Oakland City Administrator Ed Reiskin said last month that the city and the A’s needed to finalize a development agreement for a proposed $12 billion Howard Terminal project — including a $1 billion waterfront ballpark — by last week. Without that, he said a binding vote this year by the Oakland City Council would be all but out of the question.

Reiskin cited a tight timeline of other necessary reviews that would have followed between this month and early December as the reason for the deadline. Now that Reiskin’s deadline has passed, it appears the project will creep into 2023. The team has a lease agreement to play at the aging RingCentral Coliseum through 2024 and has set a goal of having a new stadium project in motion by then.

When reached for comment, city of Oakland spokesman Justin Berton said: “Negotiations on the proposed development are active and positive,” but did not address if the missed deadline meant a binding vote on the project this year was in jeopardy.

Not having a deal done this year is significant since Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf is restricted from serving after this year because of term limits and the November election could bring other changes to the city council. That means negotiations on the project would have to all but start over with a new administration.

Both the A’s and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred have noted the urgency for the team to figure out its future ballpark plans. Manfred gave the A’s the OK to explore relocation in 2021 due to the condition the Coliseum is in.

In late June, A’s President Dave Kaval said that if the ballpark efforts in Oakland were pushed into 2023 that it could “doom our efforts in Oakland.”


The A’s declined to comment Monday on the missed deadline and Manfred said he didn’t have anything to say about the matter “right now.”

In Las Vegas, the A’s are in negotiations on a pair of potential sites where they could relocate and build a $1 billion ballpark if Oakland doesn’t pan out.

The team is in discussion with casino magnate Phil Ruffin on the 38-acre Las Vegas Festival Grounds site on the north Strip. The two sides have met multiple times in Oakland and Las Vegas to discuss the site’s potential for a MLB stadium, according to sources.


Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom last month called the talks between Ruffin and the A’s “very high level,” and said a ballpark project is “doable” on the site.

Talks are also being had with Bally’s Corp., which owns the Tropicana. Bally’s saw its $148 million acquisition of the Tropicana’s non-land assets from Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. finalized last week. Bally’s will lease the land the hotel-casino sits on from Gaming and Leisure Properties for $10.5 million annually.

Bally’s Chairman Soohyung Kim told the Review-Journal this year that the company would “almost certainly” look to redevelop the 35-acre site. One of those possibilities is demolishing the Tropicana and building an MLB ballpark on the south Strip.

 

More rumblings from the MLB Commissioner.

MLB commissioner highlights urgency in A’s ballpark talks
https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/mlb-commissioner-highlights-urgency-in-as-ballpark-talks-2656411/

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said pushing the Oakland Athletics’ stadium negotiations into next year would add increased uncertainty in the Bay Area.

Manfred addressed the situations involving stadiums in Oakland and Tampa Bay during the CAA World Congress of Sports in New York on Tuesday. Southern Nevada officials are keenly interested in the Oakland situation as the A’s are still discussing potential ballpark sites in Las Vegas should the plan fail and the team pursues relocation.

The A’s and Oakland failed to come to terms on a development agreement for the proposed $12 billion Howard Terminal Project — a massive mixed-use project centered around $1 billion ballpark — by the end of September as officials had hoped.

Missing that deadline all but ends any chance of the two sides reaching a binding agreement this year, according to Oakland City Administrator Ed Reiskin. That’s due to a series of meetings and approvals that would have to occur between October and December to reach a finalized agreement.

A’s President Dave Kaval in June said that if ballpark negotiations stretched into 2023 it would “all but doom our efforts” in Oakland. That could work in Las Vegas’ favor as the A’s have been exploring possible relocation to Southern Nevada since May 2021.

The murky outlook is mainly due to a political shakeup coming in Oakland after nearly two years of negotiations on the project. Mayor Libby Schaaf is out after this year because of term limits and the Oakland City Council will see new faces on its board as well.

Manfred highlighted the work Schaaf and A’s owner John Fisher have done in attempting to come to a binding agreement in Oakland, according to the Sports Business Journal.

But he further stated that the changes coming to the city council added a “degree of urgency” to the process playing out in the Bay Area.

“The city and Oakland A’s continue to negotiate the terms of the development agreement, including community benefits, and the other necessary agreements and entitlements for the project,” Karen Boyd, Oakland spokeswoman told the Review-Journal on Wednesday. “Negotiations on the proposed development are active and positive.”

The A’s and Manfred weren’t immediately available for comment.

If the A’s end up staying in Oakland, Las Vegas could still potentially gain a team through expansion.

When asked about potential expansion, Manfred said the stadium situations in Oakland and Tampa Bay needed to be figured out before those talks went further.

“I am an advocate of getting the industry to 32 (teams),” Manfred said in a video posted to Twitter by the Sports Business Journal. “First of all there’s a demand for baseball… People want baseball, you know, that’s what we sell.”

Manfred didn’t mention cities by name, outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, but noted there are several cities that are interested when the league looks to add two teams.

“There are cities that want baseball and we should try to meet that demand,” Manfred said. “There are advantages for the sport. Getting to 32 gets you out of five team divisions, probably into four team divisions. Really helps you in terms of scheduling flexibility.”

 

So I thought it was strange that the local paper made this report right before the election. This is not news. The statements made are 2 years old.

As to Allegiant stadium -- one of the best investments the county and state have made. Its paid for by people visiting, not locals. During the Covid shutdown it kept the local construction business going. Growing the city into a world class sports venue is adding value. It was something we were lacking from other major cities and a new opportunity for growth.

That being said, I also am not in favor of taxes to build a ball park. MGM built T-mobile with their own money. MSG is building their dome with their own money. The A's and some local business can find the money.

The Raiders did not need public money. They WANTED public money. Sheldon Adelson would have given them all they wanted. What Mark Davis didn't want is the strings attached to that.

The A's are not "the Raiders". Beggers can't be chosers.

 

Not looking good for Oakland... Seems like the prime location in Vegas is the Tropicana site across the street from MGM Grand

Setback for Oakland A's waterfront ballpark plans after grant not recommended (ktvu.com)

 

The Oakland A's Are Zeroing In On Building A New $1 Billion Domed Stadium On The Vegas Strip Where The Tropicana Currently Sits

https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/3451924/the-oakland-as-are-zeroing-in-on-building-a-new-dollar1-billion-domed-stadium-on-the-vegas-strip-where-the-tropicana-currently-sits

 

I put it now at 50/50 the A's are moving to Las Vegas. Last week the owner was in Vegas meeting with all the major resorts on the North end of the Strip.

A’s focusing on Las Vegas for new ballpark, MLB commissioner says
https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/as-focusing-on-las-vegas-for-new-ballpark-mlb-commissioner-says-2729952/

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said Wednesday Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher has made Las Vegas the focus of his most recent efforts to get a new ballpark.

Speaking to reporters at the Cactus League media day in Phoenix, Manfred said there have been issues with the team’s efforts in Oakland regarding their Howard Terminal project.

“I don’t think they are in agreement on the affordable housing issue,” Manfred said. “The threshold issue right now I think in Oakland is how to handle the funding for the infrastructure.”

While the A’s work to figure those issues out in the Bay Area, they have been making trips to Las Vegas. One of the most recent treks earlier this month included meetings with resort owners from the North Strip and downtown Las Vegas.

The A’s are down to two preferred Southern Nevada ballpark sites, the Tropicana on the south Strip and the Las Vegas Festival Grounds, owned by casino magnate Phil Ruffin on the north Strip. When asked for an update on the A’s proceedings Tuesday, Ruffin’s assistant said he didn’t have a comment to offer.

With the A’s lease running out at RingCentral Coliseum, where the team has played since 1968, at the conclusion of the 2024 MLB season, time is of the essence for the team to finalize a new stadium deal, wherever that may be.

“I think Mr. Fisher wants to make the best deal to secure the future of the A’s, whether it’s in Oakland or in Las Vegas,” Manfred said. “They need a new stadium. I think that’s kind of beyond debate.”

The A’s $12 billion Howard Terminal proposal, centered around a $1 billion waterfront ballpark, have had the same concerns regarding affordable housing and infrastructure funding since July 2021. The Oakland City Council, at that time, approved its own version of a development agreement for the project. It is one the A’s didn’t approve of then and still have outstanding issues with now.

A source revealed to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the A’s would require some form of public assistance to relocate to Las Vegas. Gov. Joe Lombardo has already stated he would not raise taxes to lure the team here, but noted they could be eligible for other economic development programs.

“Those negotiations are so early in the process that it would be detrimental for me to even talk about any details,” Lombardo told the Review-Journal Monday. “Right now it’s all been ancillary conversations.”

 

Looks like its happening...

 

Oakland A’s enter binding purchase agreement for Las Vegas ballpark site
https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/athletics/oakland-as-enter-binding-purchase-agreement-for-las-vegas-ballpark-site-2764701

The Oakland Athletics have zeroed in on Southern Nevada, signing a binding purchase agreement for land just west of the Strip where a major-league ballpark could be constructed.

The agreement is for 49 acres at Dean Martin Drive and Tropicana Avenue, owned by Red Rock Resorts, parent company of Station Casinos.

“For a while we were on parallel paths (with Oakland), but we have turned our attention to Las Vegas to get a deal here for the A’s and find a long-term home,” A’s President Dave Kaval told the Review-Journal on Wednesday. “Oakland has been a great home for us for over 50 years, but we really need this 20-year saga completed and we feel there’s a path here in Southern Nevada to do that.”

With the announcement of the purchase agreement, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred concurs with Kaval and hopes the A’s shifting their efforts solely to Southern Nevada will lead to the end of the team’s yearslong quest to leave crumbling Oakland Coliseum.

“We support the A’s turning their focus on Las Vegas and look forward to them bringing finality to this process by the end of the year,” Manfred said in a statement provided to the Review-Journal.

The deal is for the land only, with the A’s having an option to purchase an additional 8 acres at a later date. Kaval said a $1.5 billion, 35,000-seat, partially retractable roof stadium would be built on the site, and that ancillary development, including but not limited to food and beverage establishments and even an amphitheater, are also in the cards.

“It’s really exciting to have a site,” Kaval said. “We’ve spent almost two years doing our due diligence, working with community leaders, elected officials and everyone in town to really determine a location that could be a win for the A’s as well as the community and public officials.”

With the location being just over Interstate 15 and west of the Strip, Kaval said the site works out for residents and visitors alike.

“It’s a great location not only for tourists, because it’s in the Resort Corridor, but it’s easy to get to for locals,” Kaval said. “About 70 percent of our fans are going to be locals, so we want to make sure we cater to them, to have a great experience at the ballpark. And this location will do that.”


The A’s have been working with Las Vegas economist Jeremy Aguero of Applied Analysis, who determined that the new ballpark would draw around 400,000 incremental visitors annually to Las Vegas.

“That’s just visitors coming only because the team is here (Las Vegas),” Kaval said. “That brings a lot of tax dollars that helps the community pay for social services and benefits and really creates a positive return on yield for the whole project.”

Red Rock Resorts, which owns 100 total acres at the former site of the Wild Wild West property, will still control about 50 acres of land in the area once the land deal is finalized.


The A’s portion of land in the agreement is bordered by Dean Martin Drive to the east, Tompkins Avenue to north, Procyon Street to the west and Tropicana Avenue to the south. The additional 8 acres of land that is available to the A’s is just to the west of the 49 acres, bordered by Valley View Boulevard, Tropicana and Procyon.

The site is just over a mile north of Allegiant Stadium on Dean Martin and is a little over a mile west of T-Mobile Arena, which is located just off Tropicana and Las Vegas Boulevard.

“It’s really in the sports district,” Kaval said. “So you have all the stadiums kind of clustered in one spot. I think that creates a powerful zone, a kind of energy to it that will benefit the community and also help us be successful running a baseball team.”

To further that synergy, there’s also a possibility that the A’s would have a pedestrian bridge constructed from their ballpark over I-15 linking to Park Avenue at T-Mobile Arena.

“So you’d have this connection to the Strip, which would be great for tourists getting in and out of the location,” Kaval said. “It’s also a nice way to knit everything together in a positive way and extend the vibrancy of the area. It also helps the casinos in that area as well as the resorts.”


The stadium would be the site of 81-plus MLB games each year in addition to other events and concerts that could take place at the ballpark. The facility would also be a big draw to land big one-off baseball events such as the MLB All-Star game and the World Baseball Classic.

Gov. Joe Lombardo is excited about the prospect of another major-league sports team calling Southern Nevada home and is looking forward to the next steps in the process.

“Welcoming the A’s to Las Vegas would be great news for Southern Nevada as well as our entire state,” Lombardo said in a statement provided to the Review-Journal. “The prospect of bringing new jobs, more economic development and a historic MLB franchise to Las Vegas is exciting on many levels. As we continue to navigate this opportunity, I’m in regular communication with the A’s, Major League Baseball, legislative leadership and local and state stakeholders.”

What’s next?

With a site now identified, the A’s will turn toward working on a public-private partnership with state and local officials.

The A’s have enlisted an army of lobbyists in Carson City for the legislative session. Kaval is one of them. Kaval noted their plan is still being developed and would be revealed at a later date.

“To put a package together that hopefully can work for all parties and that can be a positive return on investment,” Kaval said. “That’s the next step in the process. Hopefully that is done in a positive fashion, and then we can go to Major League Baseball and apply for relocation.”

Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, D-Las Vegas, said he’s had preliminary discussions with the A’s regarding their relocation and looks forward to furthering those discussions once the A’s legislative plan comes into place.

“I am excited about the prospect of bringing Major League Baseball to Las Vegas,” Yeager told the Review-Journal in a statement. “When the time comes, we will vet the proposal, seek input from interested parties and make the best decision for the people of the great state of Nevada.”

The A’s are working against a January 2024 deadline set by MLB to get their ballpark deal finalized.


If all goes as planned and the A’s negotiate a public-private partnership that benefits all sides, and MLB approves their relocation, plans call for crews to break ground on the new Las Vegas ballpark sometime in 2024.

“Then opening for the 2027 season,” Kaval said. “That’s the current plan right now. Obviously things need to fall into place … but I think that is an achievable timeline right now.”

How the A’s got here

MLB first pushed the A’s to pursue a new ballpark in 2009, with the commissioner’s office stating at the time, “The A’s cannot and will not continue indefinitely in their current situation.”

The A’s weren’t able to successfully land a new stadium before then-MLB Commissioner Bud Selig left his position and was replaced by current Commissioner Rob Manfred.

“For more than half a century, MLB has demonstrated overwhelming franchise stability and a consistent record of finding local solutions,” Manfred said. “The A’s have done their part to stay through an enormous investment in Oakland, their many playoff berths, outstanding baseball operations leadership and an abundance of patience. Under John Fisher, the A’s ownership has invested unprecedented time and resources to try to build a new ballpark in Oakland.”

The A’s have been working with Oakland officials on the planned $12 billion Howard Terminal project, which is centered around a $1 billion waterfront ballpark near Jack London Square. Since the Oakland City Council approved its own version of a term sheet for the project in July 2021, the A’s and city officials have been working to resolve issues between the two sides. Many of those issues still remain, inducing off-site infrastructure costs and affordable housing.

Las Vegas came into the fray in May 2021 when Manfred gave the A’s the green light to explore relocation to Southern Nevada. In recent years the Raiders left the Bay Area in 2020 for Las Vegas, and in 2019 the NBA’s Golden State Warriors moved across the bay, beginning play at Chase Center in San Francisco.

“The A’s have remained in Oakland long past the departures of other teams in the market,” Manfred said. “In 2021, given the continued lack of progress, MLB instructed the A’s to explore a parallel path plan with Las Vegas. Since that time, the process in Oakland has not progressed and Las Vegas has presented a comprehensive path forward for the A’s that will preserve this historic franchise forward and set the stage for future success.”

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Vegas process

During the A’s Southern Nevada search, they once compiled a list of more than 20 ballpark sites, including locations in the Resort Corridor, downtown Las Vegas, Summerlin and Henderson.

After reviewing feedback from a survey the team commissioned for potential season ticket-holders, it was decided to focus on areas near or on the Las Vegas Strip. Last year, that list included the Wild Wild West site, which eventually was nixed.

Since earlier this year the team had a list of three final sites, including the Tropicana, the Rio and the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. That changed when the Wild Wild West site came back into play.

“The Wild West site was the best site as far as an ingress-egress perspective,” Kaval on how the site came about. “It was really favorable and when it became available for somewhere that could work for us, it was really something we jumped on.”

 

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The A's are paying for the land and $1B total for the stadium. They are short 500 million, mainly because its going to be a retractable style roof and climate control. The State and County are going to defer taxes on the property for up to $500M. So the A's get a $500M tax relief but the City gets the stadium. The City gets revenue for other events held there (like Allegiant Stadium) such as concerts, other sports, etc. That land right now generates almost no tax revenue as is. So basically for the loss of tax revenue that they wouldn't get anyway they get a stadium and a ball team.

Its a bit similar as Allegiant stadium but in the case of that one, a 0.9% hotel tax up to $700M was created. The Raiders and the NFL put in $1.3B. That 0.9% is 99.99% paid by visitors, not locals. Unless you are a local and stay in a Strip hotel you don't pay nothing. On a $300 hotel bill, someone will pay an additional 3 dollars to fund the stadium.

So no new taxes for this stadium but some taxes are being deferred as an incentive but the land its on now is pretty much useless for generating any taxes.

The A's will have enough land to build what they call a "baseball village" that they hope to be a year round tourist attraction, not just for ball game dates.

 

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There is that $5B project down on the Strip and Blue Diamond that is supposed to be fully funded. I think LeBron wants to own an NBA team in Vegas.