The Oakland A’s have released several stunning pictures of their proposed new ballpark that would be built in Las Vegas.
It was announced on Monday that the A’s have agreed a deal with Bally’s and Gaming Leisure Properties to build a new stadium on the site of the Tropicana Hotel on the Las Vegas strip. The new ballpark would seat 30,000 people and cost $1.5billion to build.
The new images show projections of how the stadium would look as it sits right on the Las Vegas strip. In the images, you can see the Vegas skyline in the background of the ballpark.
In a statement released by the A’s, the director and owner of Schrock KC Architecture, Brad Schrock, explained why the new stadium will have several benefits to both the franchise and to Las Vegas as a whole.
“From the minute we stepped onto the Tropicana site nearly two years ago, it was immediately obvious what a fantastic fit it would be for a new A’s ballpark in Las Vegas,” said Schrock.
“The natural orientation of the ballpark creates not only some of the best views and connection to the Las Vegas skyline from the seating bowl but also opens up the ballpark to the corner in a way that creates opportunities for an amazing energetic public space with open and expansive views into the ballpark.”
A's president Dave Kaval echoed the words of Schrock, and explained the next stages of the plan to build the new stadium. Kaval says that the new ballpark will have major economic benefits, including new jobs, as well as helping the team in the future.
"We are excited to share our vision for the A's potential new home,” said Kaval, in a statement. “As our first conceptual design, we will continue to refine the look and feel of the ballpark over the next year.
"We hope our project goes beyond a traditional ballpark and serves as a catalyst for community development and engagement. It follows in the footsteps and success of the professional sports teams that come before us, in creating union jobs, stimulating economic growth, and fostering investments in the community.
“Thanks to the vision of Bally’s and GLPI, we have the opportunity to bring baseball to one of the most energetic locations in Las Vegas. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Nevada Governor, Legislative leaders, Clark County Commissioners, and the Southern Nevada community as we move forward with plans on our new home."
Despite a deal being agreed and new images being published, not everything is sorted for the A’s to continue with the build of their new home. The Major League Baseball Commissioner, Rob Manfred, has said that a vote will take place to see if the plans to move the A’s to Vegas can go ahead.
The vote will take place at the MLB owners meeting next month, as Manfred recently explained. “It's possible that a relocation vote could happen as early as June,” said Manfred on Thursday, while in Milwaukee during his tour of major league stadiums.
“It's very difficult to have a timeline for Oakland until there's actually a deal to be considered. There is a relocation process internally they need to go through, and we haven't even started that process.”
The A’s current stadium, the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, has been the team’s home since 1966. The ballpark has a capacity of 63,000, but at present the average attendance for A’s home games is just 8,695, with the bulk of fans fed up with the current state of the team.
