A view of the former Wild Wild West hotel-casino site on Tropicana Avenue, between Polaris Avenue and Dean Martin Dr., Thursday, April 20, 2023. The Oakland Athletics have agreed in principle to purchase the land to build a new ballpark, according team president Dave Kaval.
Saturday, April 22, 2023 | 6:20 p.m.
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The Oakland Athletics have reached a labor deal for the construction of their proposed $1.5 billion stadium near the Las Vegas Strip, vowing to create 10,000 prevailing wage jobs for workers based in Southern Nevada.
The deal was reached with the Southern Nevada Building Trades — a coalition of local unions ranging from iron workers to electricians and other industrial trades, according to a news release from the A's. Details of the agreement were not provided.
"We are thrilled to have reached this agreement with the A's which will ensure that our members have access to good-paying, union jobs on this important project," Vince Saavedra, executive secretary treasurer of Southern Nevada Building Trades, said in a statement. "Our members are ready and eager to get to work on this project and we look forward to partnering with the A's to create a state-of-the-art stadium."
On Wednesday, A's President Dave Kaval announced the team purchased 49 acres of land northwest of the intersection of Tropicana Avenue and Dean Martin Drive. He added that the team is no longer focusing on building a new ballpark in Oakland, where the team has played at the Oakland Coliseum since relocating there from Kansas City in 1968.
The team is also asking for approximately $500 million in public funding through the creation of a special tax district and transferable tax credits.
"We have spent nearly two years doing due diligence and building relationships with elected officials and community leaders, such as the Southern Nevada Building Trades," Kaval said. "And we are excited to know this showcase stadium will be constructed with highly-trained union workers."
The project is expected to require 10,000 workers, meaning the entirety of the project will be made up of Nevada-based construction contractors and tradesmen, the team said in the release. If a public-private partnership is passed in time for Major League Baseball's self-imposed Jan. 24 relocation application deadline, construction could begin later that year with hopes of the new stadium opening in time for the 2027 season.
"The A's are committed to building a stadium that will be an asset to Las Vegas and the State of Nevada, help elevate Las Vegas' brand as the sports capital of the world, and set the bar for the MLB," Kaval said.
Such a stadium would host the A's regular season and postseason games, as well as concerts and other special events, the team said. Kaval said Wednesday the venue will ultimately be between 30,000 and 35,000 seats and will feature a partially-retractable roof.
The site, which was sold to the A's by Red Rock Resorts, Inc., the parent company of Station Casinos, is located about a mile from both T-Mobile Arena, home of the NHL's Golden Knights, and Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL's Raiders.
An off-Strip ballpark would also be build in mind to host showcases like the MLB All-Star Game and the World Baseball Classic, the team said.
"We are proud to support the A's move to Las Vegas and are committed to ensuring that this project is a success for the community," Saavedra said in the release. "We look forward to working with the A's to deliver a stadium that will be a source of pride and economic opportunity for our region."
The development comes a day after the Culinary Union released a statement criticizing the A's for not yet agreeing to a so-called card check neutrality agreement, meaning the front office has not agreed to be neutral in the event stadium workers choose to unionize.
Culinary in its statement had called on the potential stadium to be built "by local building trade unions" as well.
"That is concerning, especially since every baseball player on the Oakland Athletics' roster is protected by a union contract," spokeswoman Bethany Khan said in a news release. "Hospitality workers serving customers and players at any future stadium should also be protected and have a choice on whether to be union.
