Estimated cost of A’s planned ballpark rising to $1.75B

The stadium’s projected $1.5 billion price tag has risen to $1.75 billion because of inflation and the addition of 70,000 square feet of ballpark features. New elements added during the stadium’s design phase include more clubs and suites, upgraded general admission spaces and player amenities. The A’s Las Vegas ballpark will be the first in Major League Baseball to offer under-seat cooling.

“The increase in the budget is due to 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.”

All recent and potential future cost increases are the responsibility of the A’s.

The design of the stadium will maximize natural light while protecting fans from the the direct sun with a covered roof and north orientation, Dean said. A view of the Strip from inside the ballpark remains a key aspect of the design process while working with Bally’s Corp., which plans to build an integrated resort next to the stadium at the site of the demolished Tropicana.

The A’s also updated audio and visual elements inside the stadium “in support of the ballpark being available as a premier concert venue,” Dean added.

The increase is included in a partially redacted contract between the A’s and stadium construction manager Mortenson-McCarthy. The contract will be discussed at Thursday’s stadium authority meeting. The joint venture is a combination of McCarthy Build Co. and Mortenson Construction, the same group that oversaw the construction of Allegiant Stadium.

Team owner John Fisher plans to contribute up to $1.1 billion in equity from his family toward the ballpark, with the team set to obtain a $300 million construction loan from U.S. Bank and Goldman Sachs. The A’s expect to use $350 million of the $380 million in public money earmarked for the project via Senate Bill 1, which was signed into law in June 2023.

“As of this summer the public contribution for the ballpark through SB 1 was estimated to be about $350 million,” Dean said. “The estimates remain about the same and are subject to adjustment based on interest rates and other refinements that will be made as the project unfolds.”

That breaks down to Fisher and the A’s being responsible for $1.4 billion of the $1.75 billion price tag. The A’s are also looking to secure potential local project partners, who would be given minority stakes in the team for financial contributions to the stadium’s construction. Any minority partnership deal struck would reduce the amount of equity commitment from the Fisher family.

The A’s already have spent $40 million to date on Las Vegas ballpark planning, which will go toward the first $100 million needed to be spent on the project in order to make public funding available.

Ahead of the planned construction of the ballpark, the A’s have hired around 30 firms to help with various aspects of the stadium’s development and construction.

Plans call for construction on the A’s 33,000-fan-capacity stadium to begin in the spring and be ready for the team to begin play in Las Vegas in 2028.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.