Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Oakland Athletics have completed the legislative process to relocate their franchise. The MLB office will now begin the formal approval process.
On Saturday, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo signed a bill into law providing $380 million for the Athletics’ new stadium in Las Vegas, according to the Associated Press. If approved by MLB owners, the Athletics’ relocation will begin in earnest.
The Athletics, who have been based in Oakland, California, since 1968, purchased a new stadium site near the Las Vegas Strip in April in preparation for the move to Las Vegas.
The Athletics plan to build a retractable dome stadium with a capacity of 30,000 fans, with plans to break ground next year and complete the move in 2027.
The state of Nevada, which has responded positively to the Athletics’ move, will pay $380 million of the $1.5 billion cost of the new stadium with taxpayer dollars.
Despite controversy over the use of taxpayer dollars to build a new stadium for the Athletics, owned by billionaire John Fisher, the Nevada Senate and Assembly passed the bill on April 14 and 15.
Governor Lombardo signed the bill into law the same day, completing the legal process.
Once the MLB office receives the relocation application from the Athletics, it will form a relocation committee to begin the approval process.
Commissioner Rob Manfred outlined the plan after the owners’ meeting at the MLB office in New York City earlier in the day, insisting that the city of Oakland is responsible for the Athletics’ relocation.
Commissioner Manfred said, “I understand that Oakland fans are frustrated with the relocation. However, the City of Oakland has made no move to build a new stadium, nor has it offered one.”
“I was at the Oakland Coliseum last year to meet with the team. It is not an MLB facility. I have said the same thing on numerous occasions.”스포츠토토
“I hope Oakland fans will continue to be baseball fans when the team moves,” Commissioner Manfred said.
Oakland Mayor Sheung Tao released a statement and refuted claims that the city has made no offers for a new stadium.
“We have had discussions with the team and made specific proposals. However, the A’s made demands that exceeded our realistic constraints in terms of funding for infrastructure, advertising revenue, and site ownership.” “If we had offered the kind of project that Las Vegas offered, a new ballpark would already be under construction,” he said.