Are the A’s done with Oakland no matter what happens in Vegas?
May 30, 2023, 12:30 PM
Fans sit behind signs referencing plans for the Oakland Athletics to move to Las Vegas during a game against the Atlanta Braves at RingCentral Coliseum on May 29, 2023 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Loren Elliott/Getty Images)
(Photo by Loren Elliott/Getty Images)
On Memorial Day, the Nevada Senate Finance and Ways and Means Committees held a joint hearing on SB-509, the bill that would help fund the A’s move from Oakland to Las Vegas.
During the nearly six-hour hearing, Sen. Dallas Harris (D-Las Vegas) pointedly asked those in attendance on behalf of the team if the plan is not approved, would the A’s stay in Oakland?
Jeremy Aguero, the principal owner of Applied Analysis, a data research company that conducts economic analysis in Las Vegas, responded first. He told Sen. Harris this is the plan that the A’s are “looking to be able to accomplish.”
When Harris asked for clarification on whether or not Oakland is the backup plan, Aguero said he does not know. But if the Las Vegas plan doesn’t work, “they’ve gotta start developing a new plan.”
“If this plan was not approved, is it the A’s plan B to stay in Oakland?” pic.twitter.com/9xxQq3er42
— Casey Pratt (@CaseyPrattABC7) May 30, 2023
Steve Hill, president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, who was also present Monday on behalf of the Oakland A’s, jumped in to share his thoughts.
“If this agreement does not go through, they will look for other cities to move to,” Hill told Harris. “They will not decide to stay, even if this does not go through.”
Hill’s comments appear to be the first time a representative for the team has said the team does not plan to stay in Oakland, regardless of what happens in Las Vegas. Was it a negotiating tactic or the truth? Only time will tell.
The A’s lease with the Oakland Coliseum ends after the 2024 season. In the joint hearing, a new stadium construction timeline released reported the team wouldn’t be in its new stadium until 2028.
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