LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Athletics may be closing in on a deal to bring Major League Baseball to Las Vegas, reports indicated Wednesday.
A report from The Nevada Independent published Wednesday evening said that management for the MLB team was coming close to a deal for a $1 billion baseball stadium in Las Vegas. The newspaper’s anonymous sources told it that the stadium would be built north of Allegiant Stadium, and that the deal would not include any new taxes.
Details of the reported deal have not yet been made publicly available. 8newsnow.com reached out to Governor Joe Lombardo, who said that a deal with the Athletics would be great news for Southern Nevada.
“The prospect of bringing new jobs, more economic development, and an exceptional MLB team to Las Vegas is exciting on many levels,” Lombardo said in a statement. “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.”
The Nevada Independent’s report indicated that the Athletics organization would be covering the costs for the retractable-roof stadium that would seat anywhere from 30,000 to 35,000 baseball fans. The new venue would reportedly sit near Tropicana Boulevard and I-15 on a nearly 100-acre site that the baseball organization would purchase from Red Rock Resorts.
A statement from The Oakland Athletics was released on Wednesday night.
“The A’s have signed a binding agreement to purchase land for a future ballpark in Las Vegas. We realize this is a difficult day for our Oakland fans and community. For more than 20 years, the A’s have focused on securing a new home for the Club, and have invested unprecedented time and resources for the past six years to build a ballpark in Oakland. Even with support from fans, leaders at the city, county, and state level, and throughout the broader community, the process to build a new ballpark in Oakland has made little forward progress for some time. We have made a strong and sincere effort to stay here. We recognized that this is very hard to hear. We are disappointed that we have been unable to achieve our shared vision of a waterfront ballpark. As we shift our focus to Vegas, we will continue to share details about next steps.”
– The Oakland Athletics
