The new stadium for the soon-to-be Las Vegas Athletics is taking shape as construction recently started on the Las Vegas Strip. However, the area will be more than a ballpark.
Bally’s Corp. released renderings not only of the MLB stadium, but also a 50,000-square-foot entertainment district and casino surrounding the park.
The $2 billion project’s main attraction is the 33,000-seat stadium. But it also includes retail, dining, and entertainment options, including a 2,500-seat theatre.
The A’s already broke ground on the new stadium, which is scheduled to open for the 2028 season. But construction on the entertainment district won’t start until next year. According to Bally’s chairman Soo Kim, the non-gaming aspects of the development are critical for Bally’s.
“It’s not lost upon me that 75 percent of Vegas revenues are non-gaming,” Kim told the Nevada Independent. “We want to make progress in that area, and we’re doing that now in real time. We are absolutely able to deliver [some of the venues] before the opening of the stadium. That’s still up to the market.”
Details Of A’s Baseball Stadium Project
The city demolished the historic Tropicana casino to free up the space for the new stadium. But Bally’s is building a new casino on the same corner that will have direct access to the stadium. Artist renderings show a bustling area at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue.
Shops and other retail establishments line the area around the stadium with a circular entertainment venue positioned closest to the intersection.
The stadium features a non-retractable roof with five overlapping, shell-like structures and a glass wall in the outfield offering views of the Las Vegas Strip.
Two hotel towers serve as a backdrop to the entertainment district, a reduction from three as seen in earlier plans and renderings of the new Bally’s Las Vegas casino. A parking area is also now included in the stadium and casino project.
It’s a similar plan to other stadiums that incorporated entertainment districts in the stadium experience. The Battery is next to the home of the Atlanta Braves, the Gaslamp District surrounds Petco Park in San Diego, and even nearby T-Mobile Arena, home of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, has restaurants and shops outside the stadium.
“We absolutely believe there is enough demand for retail,” said Kim.
The exact companies partnering with Bally’s to fill that part of the project is still unknown. Kim said the company is in negotiations with an operator for the theatre.
Funding for the stadium comes through $350 million in public financing, a $300 million construction loan to the franchise, and the rest from A’s owner John Fisher. Clark County commissions are expected to review the plan on Oct. 8. Approval would unlock the $350 million in public funding.
Photo courtesy of Marnell Companies
