The cost of the Athletics' planned new ballpark off the Las Vegas Strip has increased by a quarter of a billion dollars, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Monday, citing Las Vegas Stadium Authority documents obtained by reporter Mick Akers. It should be noted that the A's are responsible for those over-budget costs. The new estimated cost is $1.75 billion, up from a previous $1.5 billion mark.
"The increase in the budget is due to a combination of adding a variety of features to the ballpark along with general increases in construction costs," A's executive Sandy Dean told the Review-Journal. "The design process is iterative, and has been allowing us to add elements to the ballpark intended to make this a premier facility for Major League Baseball."
Part of the increased cost has to do with the A's improving the audio and visual capabilities of the ballpark, so as to make it an attractive venue for concerts.
The summer before last, Las Vegas government officials authorized a bill that grants the Athletics $380 million in public funding. Franchise owner John Fisher is expected to foot the rest of the roughly $1.4 billion bill.
The Athletics are embarking on a multi-year, multi-step relocation process after playing their final planned season in Oakland in 2024. They'll play the next few seasons in Sacramento, at a minor-league ballpark, before finally settling down in Las Vegas once the new ballpark is constructed -- that's expected to be in time for the 2028 season, provided there aren't any setbacks or delays.
The A's franchise had previously been rooted in Oakland since 1968.
