LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Less than a day after an analyst who works with the Athletics organization on told 8 News Now that the Tropicana Las Vegas would be demolished to make room for a new ballpark, the owners of the Tropicana are addressing the news to its employees.
In a two-page memo shared with 8newsnow.com from Bally’s Corporation, the company explains its positions by answering 10 questions. Bally’s also addressed that a draft of this memo was “issued prematurely and was inaccurate.”
Q: Are plans finalized to bring a ballpark to the Tropicana Las Vegas site?
Bally’s Corporation
A: Plans are in the very preliminary stages and not finalized for a ballpark. We don’t know what the impact is on Tropicana Las Vegas operations at this time.
Q: If a ballpark is built at the Tropicana Las Vegas site, how long will the current Tropicana Las Vegas operate?
A: We intend to keep the property open as long as practicable.
Q: What happens if the Tropicana Las Vegas needs to close in the future?
A: If we need to close, employees will have an opportunity to find employment across the Bally’s portfolio.
Q: What is the plan for the current Tropicana Las Vegas property?
A: The plan is for us to develop a new resort bearing the Bally’s name on the Las Vegas Strip. Once we do so, Tropicana Las Vegas employees will be given preference on employment opportunities and Bally’s will maintain employee seniority.
Q: If plans are finalized would Bally’s or Tropicana Las Vegas own the Oakland A’s or ballpark?
A: No, Bally’s and the Oakland A’s would continue to operate as separate businesses and would look to an integrated plan which would be mutually beneficial to both companies and allow for development of a unique experience for customers and fans unlike anything else in the world and could bring Major League Baseball to the Las Vegas Strip.
Q: How long would it take to build a new ballpark and casino hotel resort if plans are finalized?
A: A new casino hotel resort and baseball park would take several years to design, develop and build.
Q: Have we signed an agreement with the Oakland As for the construction of a ballpark at the Tropicana Las Vegas site?
A: Bally’s has agreed to terms with the Oakland A’s which paves the way for possible future development of a ballpark.
Q: What approvals are needed to develop a ballpark at the Tropicana Las Vegas site?
A: Plans to build a ballpark will require approvals by the State, Clark county, Major League Baseball along with other regulatory approvals
Q: If the Tropicana Las Vegas closes in the future to develop a new resort or ballpark, would the company offer severance packages?
A: The company would consider severance packages and fully intends to comply with WARN Act requirements along with all terms and conditions of existing CBAs (collective bargaining agreements) for unionized employees.
Q: If approved, would a new casino hotel resort and baseball park offer new employment opportunities?
A: Yes, the new casino hotel resort and baseball park would create new employment opportunities and we would share information about career opportunities and job openings.
“I think that there’s a greater likelihood that it happens than not,” Clark County Commissioner Jim Gibson told 8 News Now on Tuesday.
The Nevada Legislature will need to present a bill with specifics on how everything will materialize. When it is presented Gibson believes the commission will evaluate, crunch the numbers, and see how the pieces all fit together.
The A’s said they are expecting some 30,000 fans a game and 2.5 million people a year are currently drawing a historically low number of fans. The reason for low attendance could be because they are leaving the area, but it also could be because they have baseball’s worst record, 9-4.
“If the ownership is going to spend a billion plus dollars to come here they understand they have to have a team that is competitive to succeed here,” Gibson added.
On Monday, Bally’s Corporation announced that it had a binding agreement with the Athletics organization to build the new ballpark on the current site of the Tropicana Las Vegas Casino Resort.
The Tropicana Las Vegas is owned and operated by Bally’s Corporation, on land leased from Gaming and Leisure Properties. It opened 66 years ago on April 4, 1957.
