The MLB Oakland Athletics have made a deal to buy land in Las Vegas to build their new ballpark.
The A's play their home games at the Oakland Coliseum in California, but they've been looking for a new home for years to replace the outdated venue, the Associated Press reported Thursday.
After being unable to build a new venue in the Bay Area, the A's have signed a binding agreement to purchase land for a new retractable roof stadium in Las Vegas.
The Oakland A's have signed a binding agreement to purchase land for a new retractable roof ballpark in Las Vegas after being unable to build a new venue in the Bay Area.
— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) April 20, 2023
“We’re turning our full attention to Las Vegas,” team president Dave Kaval said.https://t.co/ZbKHqb89UI
Team president Dave Kaval told the AP on Wednesday night the team finalized a deal last week to buy the 49-acre site. The stadium will be close to the Las Vegas Strip with a seating capacity of 30,000 to 35,000.
The team will work with Nevada and Clark County on a public-private partnership to fund the stadium, the AP reported.
Kaval said the A’s hope to break ground next year and are aiming to be move to the new ballpark by 2027.
“It’s obviously a very big milestone for us,” Kaval told the AP. “We spent almost two years working in Las Vegas to try to determine a location that works for a long-term home. To identify a site and have a purchase agreement is a big step.”
The A’s have played at Oakland Coliseum since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. They had sought to build a stadium in Fremont and San Jose before shifting their attention to the Oakland waterfront.
Las Vegas would be the fourth home for the franchise, which started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54.
