Courtesy of AP
This rendering provided by the Oakland Athletics on May 26, 2023, shows a view of their proposed new ballpark at the Tropicana site in Las Vegas.
Published Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023 | 3:33 p.m.
Updated Friday, Dec. 1, 2023 | 9:57 p.m.
This story was updated at 9:57 p.m. Friday.
The Athletics have postponed an event to release renderings for a proposed baseball stadium on the Las Vegas Strip scheduled for Monday, saying in a statement Friday the delay was out of respect for the two Nevada troopers who were killed in a suspected DUI crash.
Nevada State Police troopers Alberto Feliz and Michael Abbate were killed in the line of duty after assisting a motorist on Interstate 15 near downtown Las Vegas on Thursday morning, according to Metro Police. Authorities have charged 46-year-old Jamarcus Williams with DUI resulting in death, reckless driving resulting in death and failure to stay at the scene of a crash.
“Our hearts are with the Nevada law enforcement community and the loved ones of the fallen state troopers,” the team said in a statement Friday evening. “In light of this tragedy, we will postpone our event that was scheduled for Monday to a later date. We extend our sincere condolences to the community and will be making a donation to support the families.”
They didn’t say when the event to share plans for the $1.5 billion stadium development would be rescheduled for.
Athletics set to release new Las Vegas stadium renderings
Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher and several public officials from Nevada are gathering in Las Vegas on Monday to celebrate the team’s recent relocation approval and release renderings of the future stadium on the Las Vegas Strip, the team announced today.
Major League Baseball’s owners unanimously voted Nov. 16 to approve the move of the A’s from Oakland to Las Vegas. The vote was a significant hurdle in the team’s search for a new ballpark to replace the aging Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, where the team has played since relocating there in 1968.
Along with Fisher, Gov. Joe Lombardo, UNLV President Keith Whitfield, Clark County Commission Chairman Jim Gibson, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Steve Hill and Nevada AFL-CIO Executive Secretary-Treasurer Susie Martinez are expected to attend Monday’s event at the Stan Fulton Building on UNLV’s campus.
State lawmakers in June approved a $380 million funding package, signed by Lombardo, to help pay for the planned $1.5 billion stadium at the current site of the Tropicana.
Last month, representatives from the joint construction venture Mortenson-McCarthy told the Las Vegas Stadium Authority, led by Hill, that the project will need to begin by April 2025 to be completed in time for the start of the 2028 season.
The Tropicana site is a 36-acre parcel owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc., and operated by Bally’s Corp. The ballpark will be built on 9 acres, while the rest of the site is expected to house a new resort.
The team released an initial round of ballpark renderings in May when it announced the binding deal to tentatively build the stadium at the Tropicana site. It has noted those renderings are subject to change.
A’s President Dave Kaval has said previously the ideal situation would be for the ballpark to feature either a partial or fully retractable roof to accommodate outdoor play when it’s not too hot.
It’s not clear where the A’s will play temporarily once their lease at the Coliseum ends at the end of next season.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said the team could sign a year-by-year lease with the Coliseum, of which Fisher owns 50%.
The team has also explored the options of playing in Sacramento, Calif., across the Bay at the San Francisco Giants' Oracle Park or at the Las Vegas Ballpark, a 10,000-seat Summerlin facility that is home to the Aviators, Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate.
