By: Joe Mcdermott, journalist, reporter and writer for SEARCHEN NETWORKS®
In a decisive move marking an end of an era, the iconic Tropicana hotel, Las Vegas Strip’s second-oldest casino-hotel, is set to be imploded in 2024. This action follows its partial closure in November as Las Vegas makes room for a state-of-the-art stadium for the newly relocated Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball (MLB) team. With the imminent closure and implosion, Las Vegas will lose a significant piece of Southern Nevada history.
Representing a monumental investment in Las Vegas’ recreational future, a total of $1.5 billion will be allocated toward creating a new home for the Oakland Athletics. This announcement was made after the team’s ownership secured an agreement with the Tropicana’s operator, Bally’s Corp., and Vici Properties, the owner of the resort casino’s underlying land.
The architectural challenge of constructing the Athletics’ contemporary playground has been bestowed upon the industry-leading construction companies responsible for the architectural feat, Allegiant Stadium – the Mortenson | McCarthy Joint Venture. These firms are charged with the daunting task of ensuring the smooth and successful construction of the MLB team’s proposed ballpark.
As the groundwork begins for this mega project, these firms will be committed to directing all construction-related duties. This includes tendering cost approximations before the construction commences, planning the construction schedule and logistics, bidding, managing labor affairs, and increasing community participation around the project.
The Athletics’ home stadium, a project evaluated at a whopping $1.5 billion, is anticipated to emerge as a state-of-the-art 33,000-seat retractable roof stadium. A significant sum of $380 million in public funding will be allocated to the project, and a possibility of an additional $180 million in transferable tax credits hovers if the project conforms to its current form.
From the perspective of the team, the unique seating design stands as one of the key focuses of this project. According to the A’s Design Director, Brad Schrock, there’s an aspiration to achieve a flexible seating capacity ranging from 30,000 to 33,000 seats. He elaborates, “That really puts us in a sweet spot for a lot of other events aside from just baseball. So, we want to make sure the way that the seating bowl is designed has the flexibility to accommodate multiple events and that it’s a really fun place for fans to come and watch a game.”
Though the implosion will lead to the discarding of a historic monument, it clears the path for an anticipated new chapter—marking Las Vegas as the rejuvenating hub for the Oakland Athletics. Fans eagerly look forward to 2028 when the Athletics are expected to kickstart their first season in the heart of Las Vegas.
Las Vegas’ changing skyline is a clear sign of the city’s perseverance and its unending desire to reinvent itself. The implosion of the historic Tropicana marks an end to an era, giving way to a fresh, exciting chapter in the Baseball world. As Las Vegas continues to evolve and reshape its identity, it remains a beacon of the unceasing transformation that has been its hallmark since its inception.
For further details on this development, please visit [Shelter Realty Inc’s website](www.shelterrealty.com/2024/01/01/las-vegas-strips-iconic-tropicana-hotel-to-be-imploded-in-2024-to-make-way-for-oakland-athletics-stadium/).
