Did the A's Finally Make Tangible Progress in Las Vegas?

The Oakland A's move to Las Vegas may look like a done deal, but...

Yesterday morning we wrote about how the Tropicana was no longer taking reservations on their site past April 1^st, and speculated that since there had been no announcement, that they could be setting up to close, but that it may not be imminent. The announcement that the Tropicana is going to close came on Monday afternoon with April 1^st being the final day they are taking guests. 

The site of the Tropicana is where the Oakland A's have nine acres waiting for them to build their 33,000-seat ballpark in Las Vegas. The $380 million in public funding that was passed last June is also tied to the site. 

So what does the impending closure of Tropicana mean for the future of the A's in Vegas? On the surface, it looks like a big step forward. Leveling the hotel/casino is step one of many in order to put a ballpark on the property. Vital Vegas, who had the scoop that the Trop was closing days ago, also writes that "it does not, as many assume, mean the A’s move is a done deal."

While John Fisher told reporters last week that he his family have the equity to get this deal done, he also mentioned that they are looking for minority parters in the club to help build a connection with the community. Either that, or he doesn't in fact have the funding and is looking to use one of his big assets to fundraise. 

Vital Vegas also had some details on how that's going. "To put it succinctly, a good number of power players in Las Vegas believe the A’s organization involves more clowns than all of Cirque du Soleil’s shows combined." They still question whether the A's will end up in Vegas at all, putting the odds of the move at 60/40. 

So why level the Tropicana in the first place if everything is set up and ready to go? Well, the hotel isn't exactly popular these days, as evidenced by their low room rates. If you're looking for an inexpensive place to stay in Las Vegas on Thursday, rooms start at $49. If you're going for Super Bowl weekend, then those rates go up to $10,019. That is not a typo. It's supply and demand, baby! 

With the hotel out of the way, the land could then be sold if the A's part of the project falls apart, and land on the Strip will cost a pretty penny. Especially if there are no buildings that David Copperfield needs to make disappear. 

Is this a big step forward for the A's Las Vegas ballpark project? It could be. But right now, it appears as though this could go one of a couple of ways. Either John Fisher and Bally's come up with the financing for their projects, or they don't. Closing the Tropicana was a necessary step for either avenue.