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Vegas At Bat: Athletics Buy Old ‘Wild Wild West’ Land For Stadium

Author Shawn Tempesta

After all of the talk, the rumor, the debate… it appears as though Las Vegas is as close as can be to having a Major League Baseball team. As reported first by The Nevada Independent on Wednesday night, the Oakland Athletics have purchased 49 acres of land at Tropicana and Dean Martin with the intention of building their next home.

Days Inn by Wyndham Las Vegas Wild Wild West Gambling Hall

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

The purchase of the former Wild Wild West land from Red Rock Resorts, the parent company of Station Casinos, is as clear of a signal as could be that the A’s are pointing their efforts towards Nevada. Team President Dave Kaval has said as much in a statement with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, saying their long and tortured path to attempt to get a new home done in Oakland has led them here, and they feel like a deal can get done.

This is a huge step, but the Athletics are not officially moving to Vegas… yet.

That said, a deal isn’t done. Yet. The team wants to move. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has given his blessing. Governor Joe Lombardo is looking forward to bringing them here. But the issue comes down to how to finance the $1.5 billion, 35,000 seat retractable stadium project. Governor Lombardo made it clear he is not in support for any additional taxes to fund a new stadium. That’s different than Allegiant Stadium, which is being (re)funded by a hotel tax. There are options available to the team, however.

Tax Increment Financing could give the Athletics a special taxation district immediately around the stadium that would see taxes to back to the team to fund the stadium. The thought being they are a large part of the reason of improvement in the area, they should gain from it. The other instrument is tax credits, which the Nevada Independent estimate could be worth half a billion dollars.

If everything goes according to plan, shovels could be in the ground by the end of the year, with opening day in 2027.

Obviously the prospect of bringing big league baseball to Las Vegas is an exciting one. We aren’t rounding the bases yet… but the ball is high… it is deep… it is…

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Shawn Tempesta is the co-host of Aimee+Shawn on 102.7 VGS in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is also an Emmy award nominated television host. As a content creator for 102.7 VGS, Shawn writes about current events, education, funny and trending stories.

Dear Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf: Top 10 Reasons Why Las Vegas Is Better Than Oakland

We understand why Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf may be a little upset.

The city lost two major sports team, and potentially a third one, to the “gross desert” of Las Vegas.

In an interview with ABC7, a local news station in the Bay Area, Schaaf divulged her unfiltered feelings about Vegas, and let’s just say that Sin City locals are not too happy about her comments.

“You’ve got to be much more environmentally focused when you are developing on the precious California coastline than in the gross desert of Las Vegas,” Schaaf said to ABC7 regarding the Oakland Athletics’ potential relocation to our city (#FreeTheAs).

After this interview, social media ignited with comebacks from Vegas residents, who shared many memes, humorous posts and sassy responses to the mayor’s comment.

We also feel the need to defend our city. Vegas is many things, but we definitely won’t tolerate slander from California. Here are top ten reasons why Vegas is better than Oakland.

 

  • 1) TAXES

    California state taxes are 12.3% for athletes. Along with that, Oakland has an income tax rate of 9.3%. With 81 home games, each player is taxed at that rate. By just moving to Las Vegas, each player is giving himself a 21.6% pay raise! #FreeTheAs.

  • 2) Oakland Is Still Oakland

    Have you seen Oakland besides the “coast?” It reminds us of Kale and Sadness. Not necessarily in that order.

  • 3) Your Sports Teams Prefer The "Gross Desert"

    Since the Raiders left Oakland (twice we might add), and the Golden State Warriors also deserted Oak Town; we’re sure that the A’s feel like leftover outcasts of a sporting community gone wrong. 

  • 4) Crime Rate

    According to Roadsnacks.net, Oakland is the fifth most dangerous city in the U.S., and the most dangerous city in California based on F.B.I. Statistics on Violent Crimes Per Capita. 

  • 5) Oakland Feels Like Ohio

    Someone from our office, who’s from Toledo, Ohio, said he’s been to Oakland once. However, he couldn’t tell much of a difference between Toledo and Oakland other than the people in Oakland were much angrier. 

  • 6) The Best Part Of Oakland? Underwater

    Oakland is in the Bay Area. Let’s face facts…the best part of Oakland is underwater. And this could be a legitimate future for the city. According to the New York Times, the Bay Area is sinking and meeting the rising sea level! Researchers suggest that by 2100, a great portion of the region will be submerged, flooded or damaged due to rising sea levels. 

    Port of Oakland

    [CINEVIV PICTURES] via Getty Images

  • 7) Mayor Goodman > Mayor Schaaf

    Our mayor kicks your mayor’s butt! With that being said, as Las Vegans, we are not going to take Schaaf‘s comments lying down, and neither is Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman. Put politics aside for a minute because Mayor Goodman for sure protected our own here and even threw a whole lot of shade while doing it too!

  • 8) Cost of Living

    Yes, the cost of living in Las Vegas has increased. But according to www.bestplaces.net, if you made $134,000 in Oakland, you will only need to make $80,000 in Las Vegas to live comparably. No wonder everyone is deserting Oakland. Why pay $64,000 more a year to live in the 5th most dangerous city in the U.S.?

  • 9) People From Oakland Visit Vegas To Get A Break From Cali

    Let’s face it. With all the tourists that come to Vegas from Oakland each year…this is where Oakland comes to be cool. As we all know, no one ever brags about being from Oakland…at least not in this millennium!

  • 10) If you are from Oakland, you might as well move with A’s

    According to an article by KQED, a public radio station in the Bay Area, people are fleeing that dilapidated place.

    Look at comment #2.. “I’m looking very hard at moving to Nevada!”

    Most people recognize that Nevada and Las Vegas are superior in every way!

    Leaving the Bay Area: Where People Are Going and Why | KQED

    As home prices continue to reach new heights in the Bay Area, more and more people are fleeing the region in search of more affordable housing.

     

  • #NotSoGross: We're Proud To Be From The City Of Sin!

  • Mayor Schaaf Tried To Come For Vegas But. . .

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Author Shawn Tempesta
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