Last week, the Oakland A’s gave the world a glimpse into the potential future of the Las Vegas Strip skyline by releasing several new renderings and conceptual photos of its new $1.5 billion, 33,000-seat ballpark that will eventually take the place of the Tropicana Las Vegas.
The building features a non-retractable roof structure consisting of five layered arches, which, as many have pointed out, closely resembles that of the renowned Sydney Opera House.
In a statement, the architectural firm that produced the design, Bjarke Ingels Group, referred to the new-age roof structure as a “spherical armadillo,” and added that even though the structure does not fully close, all “direct sunlight is blocked, while all the soft daylight is allowed to wash the field in natural light.”
In addition to the roof, the stadium design also features an ambitious 18,000-square-foot jumbotron, which would be the largest in any Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium.
Not only that, but it also calls for the biggest-ever cable-net glass window, which is a system that utilizes pre-tensioned cables. The window will face the Strip and provide ample natural light to the playing field without affecting the view from home plate, which was a concern raised by MLB.
Over the last six-plus months, the A’s had come under increased pressure to release the new designs, especially as the commercial operators with nearby holdings put various projects on hold until the renderings were produced.
The first round of designs, which were presented to the media and Nevada lawmakers last summer in efforts to garner support for a $380 million public funding package that was eventually approved by the state Legislature in a special legislative session last June, had since been rescinded by the team.
According to team owner John Fisher, the decision to eventually go with a non-retractable roof rather than a retractable one, which was featured in the original design, was motivated by the desire to make the building more versatile and accommodating for events year-round. Additionally, several design experts had pointed out that such a structure would be hard to fit on nine acres, as is allotted.
“We want a building that is alive and active,” Fisher told the Nevada Independent. “That’s our goal. We have an incredible location and given that there are so many people on the Strip every day of the year, we want to be able to provide an attraction for them. It’s very much a creative force.”
Overall, fan comfort was paramount in the design process, given the harsh Las Vegas climate, especially during the regular season, which runs from spring to fall.
“The most important thing here was fan comfort,” Fisher told the Independent. “But we also wanted to create a stadium that felt like you were outdoors to the best extent possible.”
The new design will not affect the projected $1.5 billion price tag, Fisher said. Naming rights to the stadium will be sold before the team begins playing in it, which will likely help in Fisher’s quest to scrounge up the remaining $1 billion-plus needed to finance the project.
Construction of the stadium is slated to begin next year, to be completed in time for the start of the 2028 MLB season. There is no plan yet as to where the team will play beyond this upcoming season until the new stadium is ready—this year is the last in its lease at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
Bally’s Corp., which operates the Tropicana, will close the longstanding resort on April 2 and demolish it soon after, with the stipulation that it will have the right to construct its own casino-resort on the remaining acreage—the stadium will only encompass nine of the 35 total acres of the site.
Gaming and Leisure Properties (GLPI), which owns the real estate, has committed to extending financing to developments that it deems to be “mutually beneficial” for those involved.
In a statement following the release of the renderings, Bally’s Chairman Soo Kim called the stadium “a remarkable design that adds to the rich fabric of must-see attractions in Las Vegas.”
“This is a once-in-a-generation project, and we are thrilled for the opportunity to develop a comprehensive site plan at this iconic location,” he continued. “We look forward to sharing more on our plan in due course.”
Back in January, Fisher had requested for Bally’s and GLPI to release their own design concepts for mixed-use developments on the site in order to give a more comprehensive view of the area, but those designs will have to be released at a later date. Team officials have confirmed that any additional construction will not obstruct the view from the glass window facing the Strip.
