Athletics
An artist’s rendering of the proposed A’s ballpark on the Tropicana casino site on the Las Vegas Strip.
Published Wednesday, June 14, 2023 | 12:17 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, June 14, 2023 | 7:24 p.m.
The relocation of the Oakland Athletics came one step closer to becoming a reality Wednesday after the Nevada Legislature approved a $380 million public financing package to build a state-of-the-art ballpark off the Las Vegas Strip, sending the bill to Gov. Joe Lombardo to be signed into law.
The Assembly convened shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday for a 25-15 vote on Senate Bill 1 after hours of deliberations on a second amendment to the bill, which is now headed to the Senate for concurrance. The new version increases the amount the A’s are required to donate annually to community benefit initiatives and removes a provision creating a homelessness prevention fund in Clark County to instead support existing programs for low-income and supportive housing.
The A's were enthusiastic about the developments, praising Nevada lawmakers for moving forward on plans.
"Tonight, we thank the members of the Nevada State Legislature and their staff for their hard work, due diligence, and attention to detail as we work to bring the Athletics to Las Vegas," the organization said in a statement. "We are especially grateful for the legislators’ time and dedication to shepherding this bill through the process, including the special session. We look forward to Governor Lombardo’s signature as our next step."
Further, the new amendment restores language to keep the Nevada State Treasurer as a nonvoting member of the Clark County Stadium Authority, and requires that the director of community benefits for the project be a county resident for at least five years and not a current or former employee of the A’s.
The state Senate passed an amended version of the bill Tuesday on a 13-8 vote after adding in provisions that mandate companies receiving tax abatements from the state provide 12 weeks of paid family or medical leave and a separate stipulation requiring the state to adhere to prevailing wage laws for railroad and monorail projects.
If additional amendments are introduced in the Assembly and the bill ultimately passes, the measure would return for concurrence in the Senate to advance to Gov. Joe Lombardo’s desk for signature. The governor now has 10 days to sign the bill, not including Sundays.
Nevada labor organizations have been vocal proponents for a stadium deal, and voiced their approval for the bill's passage.
“Today’s passage of Senate Bill 1 provides ample opportunities for our state to grow its economy and create thousands of good-paying, union jobs," Nevada AFL-CIO official Susie Martinez said in a statement. "This deal will pay dividends for years to come, as our trades, construction and service workers will heavily benefit from the stadium’s groundbreaking to well past its completion.
"I urge Governor Lombardo to swiftly sign Senate Bill 1 into law so that we can start building an economy and workforce of the future.”
The news comes a day after fans in Oakland staged a so-called reverse boycott, where a crowd of 27,759 filled the 56,000-seat Oakland Coliseum to voice displeasure in owner John Fisher and cheering the A’s (who have the second-worst record in the American League at 19-50) to a 2-1 win over the AL-leading Tampa Bay Rays (48-22).
Prior to Tuesday, the A’s ranked dead last in baseball for average attendance at about 8,555 per game, according to ESPN.
The A’s for years have maintained the facilities at the Coliseum are untenable and have sought for ballpark options throughout California. They have explored ballpark options in Fremont, Sacramento and, most notably, a waterfront stadium along the San Francisco Bay as part of a $12 billion-plus development in Oakland.
Those options have faltered, but officials in Oakland have shown a willingness to restart negotiations if lawmakers here are unable to pass a deal. Other cities, such as Portland, Ore., Nashville, Tenn., and Salt Lake City, have been floated as potential options for the A’s or landing a possible expansion team.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao expressed a desire to try to keep the A's in Oakland in a statement and hopes to restart negotiations with the organization.
"The A's have been part of Oakland for more than half a century, and they belong in this city," Thao stated. "If they A's current ownership wants to move to Las Vegas, they should seek and expansion team and leave the A's in Oakland."
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has given the team until January to find a new option for relocation. Owners met in New York this week and could have voted to approve the team’s move to Las Vegas, but with no public-private partnership in Nevada signed into law, it’s unclear when owners will meet again.
