20 April 2023
The Oakland A’s are closing in on an agreement to construct a $1 billion baseball stadium north of Allegiant Stadium with the support of Gov. Joe Lombardo and top lawmakers in a deal that will not involve new taxes, multiple sources confirmed to The Nevada Independent on Wednesday.
According to sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the A’s will cover the costs for the 30,000-to-35,000-seat retractable-roof stadium to house the Major League Baseball franchise on a nearly 100-acre site near Tropicana Boulevard and Interstate 15. The As would have to purchase the land from Red Rock Resorts.
The plan would be to pass a bill through the Legislature to create a funding mechanism, including a special taxation district covering the stadium site, which would allow for sales tax proceeds to be reinvested in the area, along with an allocation of transferable tax credits estimated to be worth around $500 million. Clark County would also have to sign off on a new taxing district.
Sources indicated that legislative leaders and the governor were briefed on the plans for the stadium and seemed generally supportive. Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas) did not respond to a request for comment late Wednesday.
The site was reportedly considered as a location for what is now Allegiant Stadium, which was ultimately built a mile south for $1.9 billion.
The team has been exploring the Las Vegas Valley for a new home for much of the past two years.
A 20-acre portion of the site housed the Wild Wild West Casino, which was closed and demolished in September. The site will be combined with an adjoining 80 acres for the stadium.
In the late 2000s, Red Rock — then known as Station Casinos — announced plans to build Viva, a Strip resort-sized development on the site, though the recession halted that project.
The A’s had been considering three other sites in the resort corridor — the Las Vegas Festival Grounds at the corner of Sahara Avenue and the Las Vegas Strip, a portion of the Tropicana Las Vegas, and an empty parcel on the grounds of the Rio hotel-casino.
While on the campaign trail, Lombardo made a promise to “never” raise taxes. It’s a promise that sources said Lombardo intends to keep through the deal requiring the A’s to cover the cost of the stadium and the allocation of transferable tax credits. The proposed deal would need to be introduced as a bill and pass out of the Legislature, which is more than halfway through its 120-day session.
Public records indicate that the governor met for an “Oakland A’s Policy Discussion” and with the “Oakland A’s” on two occasions in February. In February, the Independent learned the A’s had hired 18 lobbyists for the state’s 120-day legislative session. A’s President David Kaval also is registered as a lobbyist.
An announcement is planned soon. Red Rock Resorts is scheduled to report first-quarter earnings on May 4 and company executives are expected to discuss the stadium project then.
This story was updated at 9:25 PM to clarify certain aspects of the proposal.
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