Clark County commissioners unanimously approved establishing a Sports and Entertainment Improvement District to help pay for part of the $1.75 billion proposed MLB stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.
The district will collect $120 million in new taxes, which the county will use to repay county-issued bonds and fund its share of the financial obligation for the stadium project.
Key takeaways
● Clark County approved a $120 million tax district to help fund the MLB stadium.
● The stadium will occupy nine acres at the south end of the Tropicana site.
● The A’s aim to begin Las Vegas play in 2028 after construction finishes.
The decision follows an earlier unanimous resolution in April that approved the required permits for the project's construction. The planned 33,000-seat ballpark will serve as the Oakland Athletics' new home and span nine acres at the south end of the existing Tropicana resort property. The parcel forms part of a larger 35-acre tract Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. (GLPI) developed and casino company Bally's Corporation operated.
Tax money the improvement district generates may begin to accumulate while the stadium is being built. Once county bonds are redeemed, the special district dissolves, and tax dollars from the property revert to the general division between the county and state.
The stadium's financing plan includes multiple sources of public funding. In addition to the $120 million from the improvement district, Clark County will contribute $25 million for infrastructure development around the ballpark site.
The State of Nevada will provide up to $180 million in transferable tax credits, as Senate Bill 1 outlined, which the state legislature passed in 2023. The public contribution may total up to $380 million.
Las Vegas transformation continues
The agreement between Bally’s, GLPI, and the Athletics is that GLPI will relinquish the nine-acre stadium property to the A's, who will, in return, transfer the deed to the Las Vegas Stadium Authority. The authority will acquire the land and the stadium when it's built.
The final development agreement between Clark County and the A's hasn't been signed yet. However, the team is authorized to start initial site work. Las Vegas Stadium Authority Chairman, Steve Hill, stated the team plans to break ground in June.
Stadium construction is projected to take nearly three years, and the A's hope to relocate and begin playing in Vegas at the start of the 2028 MLB season.
This is part of the A's relocation from Oakland to Las Vegas, ongoing for several years amid California stadium and lease negotiations. The creation of the Sports and Entertainment Improvement District is one of the central components of the financial package, letting the project proceed without placing the full cost burden on private capital.
The ballpark's location along the Vegas Strip makes it one of the country's most iconic entertainment corridors. This is part of a broader effort to diversify the Strip, with Nevada sportsbooks sure to benefit from a new MLB team's presence.
Adjacent construction of Bally's integrated resort on the remaining half of the Tropicana property is set to complement the stadium and similarly respond to the same call.
