The Tropicana Casino and Resort in Las Vegas, a historic venue on the Strip, was demolished on Wednesday morning in a grand display that included fireworks. This event marks the first casino implosion in nearly ten years, showcasing the city’s inclination for new beginnings and its storied history of demolition in the pursuit of redevelopment.
The site of the Tropicana will be transformed into a new $1.5 billion stadium for the relocating Oakland Athletics, further establishing Las Vegas as a sports destination. In August, Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, expressed optimism about the approval of crucial documents required to kick off construction on the stadium, which is anticipated to have a seating capacity of 33,000.
Before construction can commence, three important agreements—the lease, non-relocation, and development agreements—must be ratified. Although the lease agreement was introduced recently, it has yet to be voted on, and there are no final architectural designs for the Las Vegas ballpark available at this time.
Meanwhile, Athletics owner John Fisher is maneuvering through challenges related to his potential relocation to Sacramento as he awaits the completion of the Las Vegas stadium. This plan involves significant alterations to Sutter Health Park, where the grass would need to be replaced with artificial turf to accommodate both the Athletics and the Sacramento River Cats, requiring play in extreme summer temperatures.
Despite these hurdles, the A’s are targeting the 2028 season for the opening of their new stadium in Las Vegas.