LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Oakland Athletics leadership are meeting with Nevada lawmakers in Carson City to discuss Senate Bill 509, which could bring a state-of-the-art baseball stadium to the Las Vegas Valley.
The Vegas Chamber posted a photo of its CEO and president, Mary Beth Sewald, meeting with A's owner John Fisher and team president Dave Kaval.
Vegas Chamber President & CEO @MBSewald talks with Oakland A’s president @DaveKaval & owner @JohnFisherAs about latest on SB 509 to help build a major league ballpark in Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/E8Y3cFhU7A
— Vegas Chamber (@lvchamber) May 31, 2023
Channel 13 spoke with Sewald following her conversation with the A's executives on Wednesday.
"They told me they're very excited at the opportunity to bring the team to Las Vegas and to really be part of our community," Sewald said.
This comes after a Senate hearing to debate the legislation, which puts Nevada on the hook for up to $380 million of public money for the proposed ballpark.
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The proposed $1.5 billion stadium on the site of the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort would seat approximately 30,000 people.
Public commenters who weighed in ahead of the hearing were largely opposed to the proposal. As of 11 a.m. Thursday, 78% of public comments tracked on the Nevada legislature's website were in opposition; 21% were in favor.
"I think it says a lot that they were here today," Sewald said. "You know, a lot of us testified at the hearing on Monday, and we were glad to see them here. And I think it makes a big statement about how seriously they're taking this opportunity and how much they really want to locate to Las Vegas."
Sewald explained why the Vegas Chamber is putting its support behind S.B. 509:
"Well, we're pretty optimistic about it," she said. "I mean, it makes sense for Las Vegas and it makes sense for the team. You know, and one of the biggest things that we are optimistic about at the Vegas Chamber is all of the jobs that would be created — thousands and thousands of jobs in Southern Nevada — and that will generate about $440 million in wages and salaries paid to our local workers and our community over the next 30 years."
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Up next for the bill is a vote by the Senate Finance Committee, which has eight members. A majority vote is required for the legislation to pass out of committee. A tie would mean the measure fails.
If it passes, the bill would move to the full Senate, then the Assembly and, eventually, to Gov. Joe Lombardo's desk.
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has said a vote on the Athletics' proposed relocation to Las Vegas could happen as early as June.
Kaval previously told Channel 13 he hopes a new ballpark would be operational by 2027. In the meantime, Manfred said it would be "feasible" for the A's to share Las Vegas Ballpark with its triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas Aviators.
The proposed A's Las Vegas ballpark is expected to welcome more than 2.5 million fans and visitors each year, a Bally's spokesperson stated in a previous news release.
