After
almost 70 years, one of the most iconic hotels in Las Vegas will cease to exist
as of April 2, 2024.
The Tropicana Hotel and Casino Will shudder as part
of its property will be renovated for the Oakland Athletics baseball team, which
will relocate to Las Vegas.
This
will be the fourth professional sports franchise to call Sin City home, as well
as a Formula 1 race.
A
new Bally’s resort will also be constructed on the property.
The Athletics
have been looking to leave Oakland for years as their current stadium is really
a football stadium and is mammoth. The new park in Las Vegas is expected to be
about 33,000 seats, the smallest in Major League Baseball.
The
Tropicana has been around for 67 years and sits on 35 acres. It sold nine acres
to developers to construct the new facility. The
ballpark is projected to be ready for the 2028 season, developers said. Construction
is slated to begin in 2025.
End of an era
“It’s one of the last landmarks that remain in Las Vegas,”
developer Lorenzo Doumani said. “It’s
a piece of history, it’s nostalgic and it’s kind of sad, but Vegas has changed
completely since I grew up there. …It’s a different place… it’s the end of an
era, really.”
Indeed, the stigma of gambling has long passed and professional
sports franchises have flocked to Las Vegas. The Athletics will join teams from
the National Football League, National Hockey League and Women’s National Basketball
Association.
An NBA franchise is expected to relocate or be awarded to Las
Vegas in the coming years.
“It’s uniquely positioned for professional sports,” Doumani said
of Las Vegas.
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