How John Fisher and Dave Kaval Do another run of Vegas to determine interest in one new athletics stadium, it is interesting to consider who could possibly raise a billion dollars for a new sunroof system. It’s a short list to be sure.
A result of that trip, which took place Monday and Tuesday, has seen the list of potential ballpark areas – as defined by Fisher and Kaval – grow to around 20, and Summerlin, the Strip, Las Vegas itself (including the Cashman Field area ) includes) and Henderson. Compiling this list was an important part of that week’s visit.
“The reality is that all sites have many positive qualities and I don’t think we are really able to cross any of the lists right now,” Kaval told dem Las Vegas Review Journal Tuesday afternoon. “We will continue our due diligence and research and our understanding of the best locations. But it’s really great that there are so many options and so many great opportunities to possibly get it working here in Southern Nevada. “
But many of the sites are problematic and already well reviewed when district officials debated the new Raiders stadium. While the A early expressed its enthusiasm for a location near the Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders and UNLV football, it’s not clear how viable this option really is. It’s an open secret in Clark County that the Raiders are firmly faced with a new MLB stadium next door – a major roadblock to drafting a sports corridor deal. Kaval also identified a UNLV controlled site on Tropicana Boulevard near McCarren International that was once considered the Raiders Stadium. However, this page has been problematic due to the potential impact on flights to and from Las Vegas.
It’s also not clear how profitable a Summerlin location is, despite Kaval’s interest: a proposed suburban church owned by Howard Hughes Corp. was founded and hosts Summerlin Las Vegas ballpark, Home of the Las Vegas aviator (Triple-A West). Howard Hughes Corp. has been mining assets in recent years and quietly listens to deals for the fliers and the ballpark; It’s hard to see how Howard Hughes Corp. jumps on board for a billion dollar stadium. And visiting the Cashman Field area and proclaiming it a potential ballpark is a nice touch, but from now on the city still has a contract with a private investor for an MLS stadium and the associated development on the property. Hard to see Mayor Carolyn Goodman–who didn’t meet the A’s on this week’s trip– Get away from this deal and take on a billion dollar advertisement for athletics.
The big question, however, is not one that site selection can answer. Throwing around potential baseball stadiums is easy. The hard work is funding a likely billion dollar facility. And right now there is no money pool that would fund a new ballpark.
Let’s start with that Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau (LVCVA), which is probably the most powerful economic player in the greater Las Vegas area right now. It’s no secret that COVID-19 restrictions are hitting LVCVA hard; the agency lost $ 210 million in revenue in 2020, Budget cut by $ 150 million and immersed in reserves of $ 27 million. Tourism is the lifeblood of the Las Vegas economy, and the LVCVA is still operating in uncharted waters: yes we are going back to normal, but exactly when Vegas will return to economic normality in tourism is up for debate. In addition, LVCVA has postponed a planned expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center that may be considered again in the coming year and that will become a large part of the capital budget. Funding for the district can also be off the table; Clark County insiders say there isn’t a huge appetite for funding a new ballpark as tourist tax revenues decline. (The other reason for hesitation: Vegas hugged the NFL because every NFL game is an event. People plan their weekends by traveling to an NFL game: fly Friday night, party Saturday, go to the game Sunday and fly back Sunday night. Baseball, on the other hand, is not an event-driven sport. Nobody plans their itinerary to see the Las Vegas Athletics host the Tampa Bay Rays on a Wednesday night.)
The same economic forces that hit LVCVA hit local resorts. and return to Vegas during the conventionsIts resorts are still looking ahead to a rough 2021 and 2022: Again, it’s hard to say when and if the Vegas tourism industry will return to normal. (The rise of hybrid events is very bad news for Vegas officials.) Does a resort owner have the cash to invest a billion dollars in a new ballpark? Meet with Phil Ruffin about a potential ballpark in the Circus Circus (yes, sports journalists, the jokes will write themselves) is one thing, but convincing him to spend a billion dollars on a new ballpark is another.
So let’s acknowledge that it will be difficult to find funding for a new Vegas ballpark. And let’s also acknowledge that one benefit of running Vegas is putting pressure on Oakland and Alameda County officials to strike a deal for a new location at the waterfront Howard Terminal. It is difficult to say whether they feel a lot of pressure. Oakland City Council will discuss a possible term sheet for a new ballpark on July 20th, but Alameda County – which has been asked to comment on any ballpark project –won’t even schedule a vote before September. What the A’s ask for is becoming more complex and now includes two different tax districts (one for the Howard Terminal development area, one for infrastructure in the general area). The July 20th meeting could well lead to a non-binding agreement, but it will come nowhere near a solution.
But hey, when Vegas and Howard Terminal don’t work, there’s always Vancouver, home to 60 percent of British Columbia Columbia’s baseball fans like the idea of Major League Baseball in their province. That’s before you see the price of a new ballpark, of course. Everyone loves a free milkshake.
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