The Oakland Athletics’ move to Las Vegas is not as near a lock as it once seemed.
It’s now very much up in the air.
A four-month legislative session by Nevada lawmakers adjourned late Monday without a vote on a stadium bill for the A’s.
Lawmakers failed to pass the budget bill that included over $1 billion to fund capital improvement projects that fund state public works and construction. The measure faltered in the Senate after it ran out of time for a second vote after party disagreements lasted Monday night until the midnight deadline.
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Oakland Athletics gear on the grass before a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards April 10, 2023, in Baltimore. (Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)
The bulk of the public funding for the $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium would have come from $380 million in public assistance, partly through $180 million in transferable tax credits and $120 million in county bonds — taxpayer-backed loans to help finance projects and a special tax district around the stadium. Backers have pledged the district will generate enough money to pay off those bonds and interest.
A move to Vegas has been considered for close to a year now, and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred even said at one point a move was almost unavoidable.
Oakland Athletics logos in the dugout before a game against the San Francisco Giants at the Oakland Coliseum July 22, 2018, in Oakland, Calif. (Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)
“For a while, we were on parallel paths (with Oakland), but we have turned our attention to Las Vegas to get a deal here for the A’s and find a long-term home,” A’s president Dave Kaval said last month. “Oakland has been a great home for us for over 50 years, but we really need this 20-year saga completed, and we feel there’s a path here in Southern Nevada to do that.”
“We support the A’s turning their focus on Las Vegas and look forward to them bringing finality to this process by the end of the year,” Manfred said.
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In April, the A’s signed a binding agreement to purchase 49 acres of land for a new ballpark, but a new deal with other land reportedly came about when public funding was reduced from $500 million to $395 million.
It remains to be seen when a vote will be cast, but Gov. Joe Lombardo said he would call a special session to do so. The Nevada Independent says Lombardo would “[dictate] the agenda, though neither Lombardo’s office nor legislative leadership have confirmed a special session would happen as of late Monday.”
The Oakland Athletics and the Texas Rangers play at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Aug. 6, 2020, in Oakland, Calif. (Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
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The proposed stadium would seat 35,000 and have a retractable roof, and the A’s remain hopeful it opens in 2027. The lease on the A’s current stadium ends next year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
