The A’s have reportedly made an offer to buy a plot of land in the Las Vegas Valley as they continue to explore the possibility of relocation. Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported the news Friday after speaking with A’s president Dave Kaval.
“We’re kind of moving from a phase of research/data gathering to action around a final site,” Kaval told Akers. “That’s really important because the site selection is a really critical path to keep the process moving forward to where we could have a holistically blessed project.”
It’s important to note that an offer has reportedly been made but no land deal appears to be consummated yet. Akers reported that Kaval wouldn’t divulge the exact site.
Earlier this fall, the A’s said they would announce a short list of potential Las Vegas sites after the World Series but are yet to make them public. Members of the team’s brass have made at least six visits to the Las Vegas area this year to meet local officials and survey potential sites near The Strip and in the nearby suburbs of Summerlin and Henderson.
The team still has a major framework in place to finish a waterfront stadium development deal at Howard Terminal in West Oakland, but is waiting to get the all-important environmental impact report certified as city staff sifts through more than 400 public comments.
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On Oct. 26, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 in a non-binding declaration to support working with the city of Oakland on creating an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD), which would capture funds over a 45-year period to pay for $352 million off-site infrastructure near the Howard Terminal ballpark.
It’s also worth noting that supervisor Wilma Chan tragically lost her life to a head injury on Nov. 3 after being hit by a car while walking her dog in Alameda.
While Kaval has stayed relatively mum on the situation at home, he’s been very public about the team’s progress in Las Vegas, keeping Akers abreast every step of the way. Throughout this process, Kaval has been fighting the narrative that these visits to Vegas aren’t merely a way to tighten the screws on Bay Area politicians to make a deal happen.
Back in August, I visited a few of the potential sites. Check out the YouTube video here:
If the team puts in an offer for the Las Vegas Festival Grounds at the north end of The Strip, that may be an indication the A’s are for real about moving to Sin City. If the offer is made on one of the dirt lots in Henderson or Summerlin, I probably wouldn’t put much stock into the land acquisition. Howard Terminal would be a much more attractive option for a mixed-use development than the sites in Henderson or Summerlin.
The A’s appear to be doing their due diligence in Las Vegas but I’d still consider it a fallback plan. The City of Oakland and Alameda County are on board with the A’s $6 billion development that also includes public parks, a performing arts center, residential and commercial buildings that would be just a short walk away from Jack London Square. Conceivably, the A’s could just be months away from finalizing a ballpark deal in Oakland.
