Oakland A's release renderings of stadium planned for Las Vegas Strip
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — The Oakland Athletics have released the first renderings of the baseball stadium proposed for the Las Vegas Strip.
The stadium proposal is described as "one of the most intimate settings in Major League Baseball," with a capacity of 30,000 and a partially retractable roof.
"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," Brad Schrock, A’s director of design and owner of Schrock KC Architecture, said in a statement.
A team spokesperson says the venue would pay tribute to the history of the A's and Las Vegas. It would also feature a view of the Las Vegas Strip skyline from the seating bowl.
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The renderings show parking lots surrounding the stadium, with a raised concourse connecting it to the southeast corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue.
The stadium itself has peristyle fencing surrounding the outfield side. The main seating bowl has four decks, while the outfield bleachers have three. A video monitor is located in right field, and a large digital ribbon board is located above the top deck behind home plate.
The field in one rendering appears to be similar in dimensions to the team's current home at the Oakland Coliseum, complete with a large amount of foul territory.
"As our first conceptual design, we will continue to refine the look and feel of the ballpark over the next year," team president Dave Kaval said in a statement. "We hope our project goes beyond a traditional ballpark and serves as a catalyst for community development and engagement."
The A's signed a binding agreement to put a stadium on nine acres of land at the current location of the Tropicana casino-resort.
Funding for the stadium remains in question, as a bill has not yet been introduced in the state Legislature for public financing.
Gov. Joe Lombardo announced a tentative agreement on a bill, but its status is up in the air as the governor and lawmakers battle over the state's budget and legislative issues.
"Although we have discussed the A's move it has all been basically in the abstract," GOP Assembly Minority Leader PK O'Neill said in a statement provided Friday afternoon. "While it sounds interesting, we have yet to actually see a bill on what is being proposed. There are other more pressing issues currently occurring in the Legislature which need to be addressed."
The current legislative session is scheduled to conclude on June 5.
