The odds of Oakland A’s owner John Fisher putting up his own money for the $200 million gap between the A’s and Nevada Legislation to cover the Tropicana ballpark in Las Vegas is like waiting for a snowstorm in San Francisco tomorrow (file photo from the SF Chronicle)

Athletics are On the Clock for June 5

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

What an irony. In 2023 the year of the clock in baseball, the Oakland A’s have until June 5 to try to secure the public funds they need in Las Vegas. The A’s originally were asking $500 million when they were going for the 49 acres at the Wild Wild West site, but now since they dealt with the Tropicana site (Tropicana is willing to give the A’s their land for the stadium) they are asking for $395 million, a substantial reduction of $105 million.

Why are the A’s on the clock? Well, the dateline is June 5 for the A’s to have their plan approved by the Legislature in Carson City, Nevada. The legislature might be willing to approve $195 million in transferable tax credits of that $395 million as it stands today for stadium construction (according to the Independent) but they’re still short by $200 million.

Mr. Fisher could always put those $200 million of his own money (the odds of that is like expecting a snow storm in San Francisco tomorrow) to have the deal come to fruition, which more than likely will lead to the ‘shovel in the ground’ on the new park by 2024, as A’s plans call for.

Both houses of the Nevada legislature need to approve the funding package If by June 5 they have not reached a decision Joe Lombardo, Governor of Nevada, according to Nevada law, could then convene a special legislative session in trying to reach a decision.

The Las Vegas Review Journal is reporting today that the State of Nevada and Clark County are ready to offer in a ballpark deal with the A’s currently at $320 million, that leaves just a $75 million dollar gap. If you are dizzy from all these numbers, do not be.

Remember, the A’s are trying to move to Las Vegas, a town that totally runs on numbers. That $75 million “Gap” should be lunch money for the billionaire owner of the A’s, or maybe a banquet for a bunch of people at Napa’s world famous French Laundry, one of California’s Governor favorite restaurants.

All reporting sources in Las Vegas agree that by next week the long awaited and late plan by the A’s will be introduced. There are only 20 days left in the Nevada legislative period, which is June 5, 2023. In Nevada Legislative sessions are held every other year in odd-numbered years, hence in 2024 they rest, Somebody asked me who owns the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum: The Coliseum, along with Oracle Arena and its surrounding parking lots are owned 50% by the City of Oakland and 50% by the Oakland Athletics.