Earlier this summer, Bally’s Corp. and Gaming & Leisure Properties (GLPI), owners of the Tropicana Las Vegas and the land the casino sits on, respectively, agreed to hand over nine acres free of charge to the Oakland Athletics (A’s) for the team to build a new $1.5 billion, 30,000-seat ballpark.
The casino will of course be demolished in the process, but Bally’s has indicated that it plans to construct a new property on the remaining acreage.
However, before shovels have even hit the ground, it appears that the team could need some more space to accommodate supports for the stadium’s proposed semi-retractable roof system.
Even though the company is already forfeiting some $180 million by giving up the land for free, Bally’s Chairman Soo Kim recently indicated to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that his company could potentially concede even more for the project.
“I do believe we have some language that allows for supports for a roof if necessary beyond the above (acreage),” Kim said.
The Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Field,which opened in 2020 and is the newest MLB facility, also has a retractable roof setup, and the A’s toured the stadium when forming their design, according to the Review-Journal.
That field sits on a 13-acre plot but also has 10,000 more seats than the A’s proposed design.
Due to the extreme Las Vegas heat, some kind of roof or enclosure would likely be needed, and there is reportedly as much as four acres that have been allocated for shared spaces, including courtyards and walkways.
According to the Review-Journal, the A’s plan to use artificial turf for the ballpark due to the uneven sunlight distribution. The Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium nearby uses natural grass, but the rectangular field sits on a tray that can be moved out of the stadium for full sunlight and the stadium itself is also fully domed.
Now that the Nevada Legislature has approved a $380 million public funding package for the stadium, the only big step remaining is relocation approval from Major League Baseball (MLB). Once the team submits its official relocation application, it will need a three-quarters majority vote among team owners for final approval.
