There is no new stadium yet for the A’s in Las Vegas, with the opening still three years away, and some doubts persist that it will actually happen. The MLB club, however, is now taking deposits for tickets to the planned ballpark.
The A’s said they will begin taking deposits of $19.01 each on Friday to be placed on a priority list for tickets to the ballpark, scheduled to open in 2028. The amount references the year that the franchise was founded in Philadelphia, the first of what is set to be five homes for the franchise.
The beginning of ticket deposits arrives at a notable juncture for the planned ballpark, now set to cost $1.75 billion. There was a glitzy demolition last fall of the Tropicana Las Vegas, the resort that formerly was at the stadium site. That event was soon followed by Las Vegas Stadium Authority’s approval of the ballpark financing plan.
A groundbreaking for the new stadium is planned for this spring. There are still numerous unanswered questions surrounding the project, though, including whether A’s owner John Fisher will bring on additional investors to help cover private-sector building costs, how the A’s will satisfy unmet parking requirements at the new ballpark, and how the A’s will address several key elements missing in stadium renderings released so far.
Both the stadium authority and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred insist the ballpark construction is proceeding entirely as planned, with Manfred saying last fall, “It’s full steam ahead.” The A’s are due to update the stadium authority on the stadium development progress at a meeting scheduled for Thursday.
The A’s, meanwhile, also are continuing frenetic efforts to prepare Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, the club’s temporary home for the next three seasons. Recent efforts have included upgraded lighting, a remade batter’s eye, and field preparation. The club will play its first home game there on March 31.
