A's Not So Locked in to Binding Agreement in Las Vegas
The Oakland Athletics are reportedly still shopping for a ballpark location in Las Vegas despite announcing a binding land agreement purchase just a couple weeks ago. According to the Nevada Independent, as many as two additional sites are back in play for the A's.
This isn't to say that the A's couldn't still potentially build at the site they'd previously announced at the former Wild Wild West Casino, where plans for a 35,000 seat ballpark are still in play.
But the NV Independent is also hearing that the A's have circled back to the ownership of the Rio Hotel & Casino. The team has been "offered 22 acres of the resort's 90-acre site for just $1." That one dollar price tag could also net you just about 1/8th of a stock in The Gap.
President Dave Kaval and Owner John Fisher had rejected that deal previously. Speculation would be that they are no longer as confident that they can get the $500M tax credits they're reportedly seeking in order to help pay for the new ballpark project, and buying land that they're less excited about but that helps their bottom line could be the play here. Call me old fashioned, but I think that the land that you buy to build a billion dollar ballpark experience on should cost more than a sausage McMuffin.
Nevada lawmakers expressed some doubt that the A's would have enough time to get the "legislative approval" before the June 5 deadline. Of course, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo could always call a special session to get this voted on if he were inclined to do so.
The A's have also circled back to the Tropicana site, per the report, which was an early favorite of ownership, though the NV Independent believes that securing that land could be a complicated process due to the number of agreements that would have to be reached in a short timeframe to secure the deal.
This is all to say that John Fisher, in true John Fisher fashion, announced a half-baked plan, and is now seemingly weighing his options once more. Commissioner Rob Manfred said of the City of Oakland just a couple of weeks ago when the A's made their binding land agreement announcement, "Unfortunately, the government doesn't seem to have the will to get it done." Rob, you fool. This is how John Fisher (Vegas name Johnny the Fish) operates.
It's been said of the A's and Las Vegas numerous times, but it bears repeating: If you have more than one site, you don't have a site.
I guess we shouldn't be expecting those long overdue renderings any time soon.