The Oakland Athletics' efforts to relocate to Las Vegas hit a stumbling block late Monday after the Nevada Legislature adjourned their four-month session without a vote on a proposed package to help fund a new stadium on the Las Vegas Strip, reports the Nevada Independent. A tentative agreement on the funding package was reached last month.
The funding package not advancing through the Legislature before the session adjourned is a hurdle more than a deal-breaker. The Legislature holds a four-month session every other year, though the A's stadium funding package could still be considered as part of a special session. Here are more details, from the Nevada Independent:
But with backing from Gov. Joe Lombardo, lawmakers could still reconsider a public funding package for the A's proposed $1.5 billion, 30,000-seat ballpark project on the Las Vegas Strip. Doing so would require Lombardo to call on lawmakers to reconvene for a special legislative session, for which the governor dictates the agenda, though neither Lombardo's office nor legislative leadership have confirmed a special session would happen as of late Monday.
A spokesperson for the governor's office declined to comment on whether the governor plans to convene a special session for the A's stadium bill.
Tuesday morning, the press secretary for Nevada Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said a special session will not be called to advance the stadium funding bill, according to Fox 5 Vegas. That, however, is always subject to change.
The contentious stadium funding package includes up to $380 million in public assistance, with $180 million in transferable tax credits and $120 million in county bonds, which are tax-payer backed loans. The A's would not owe property taxes and a special tax district around the stadium would be carved out. The true cost would be well north of $380 million, as Field of Schemes explains.
Also, the funding package is not specific to the Athletics, and could be used for any other major-league franchise -- relocation or expansion -- should the A's be unable to finalize plans to move to Las Vegas.
Advancing the funding package through the Nevada Legislature is not the final step in securing a new ballpark, it should be noted. Once the funding package is approved by lawmakers, the Athletics would then need approval from the other 29 MLB owners, and also verifiably secure funding for the rest of the estimated $1.5 billion development.
Late last month the Athletics released renderings of the proposed 30,000-seat ballpark, which would sit on the current site of the Tropicana Las Vegas hotel. As part of the stadium deal, the Tropicana would be demolished, and the new A's ballpark as well as a new hotel and casino would be build.
A's ownership has indicated it hopes to move into a new Las Vegas ballpark by 2027. The team's lease at RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland expires after the 2024 season, and the A's would need to find a home for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
The A's lost their 50th game of the season Monday. At 12-50, they are the first team to lose 50 of their first 62 games since the 1932 Boston Red Sox.
