MLB commissioner Rob Manfred revealed that the Oakland A’s have used the transition period in Oakland’s government to further explore their options in Las Vegas.
“The focus [since December] has been on Las Vegas,” Manfred said at a press conference Wednesday, noting that new Oakland mayor Sheng Thao — who was sworn in on Jan. 9 — needed “time to get settled” before fully engaging on the stadium negotiations with the team.
The A’s are in talks on two potential stadium sites in Las Vegas: the Bally’s-owned Tropicana site and billionaire Phil Ruffin’s Las Vegas Festival Grounds.
Manfred referred to Oakland’s infrastructure funding as a “threshold issue.”
The team and city have negotiated a framework in which the A’s would pay for a new ballpark and surrounding housing, parks, retail, and office — which would cost an estimated $12 billion. The city would pay for infrastructure improvements in the surrounding area.
Oakland officials have said that they have already been granted $375 million in funds toward the project and outstanding grants for another $100 million. The city could also issue a limited-obligation bond for $150 million.
