LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Tropicana Las Vegas property's time may soon be coming to an end despite being one of the oldest casino's on the Las Vegas Strip.
That's because the Oakland A's, according to sources with knowledge of the matter, are in talks to possibly build a new baseball ballpark where the Tropicana sits, near the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue.
There's no formal plan yet, but sources have told Channel 13 that the team has shifted its focus to the Tropicana land.
Tony Fields, a New York man who was in town on a vacation Wednesday, says he wouldn't be a fan of the razing of the 66-year-old complex.
"The Tropicana ain't going nowhere," Fields said. "The Tropicana is a landmark. This was the playground for Sammy Davis, Jr., and Frank Sinatra... Dean Martin."
The A's are reportedly looking for as much as nearly $400 million to help pay for a new $1.5 billion stadium. They'd like to move the team to Las Vegas if they get what they want.
Lorenzo Doumani, a Las Vegas developer and former film director, has fond memories of the Tropicana from the 1970s. Doumani's father and uncle owned the complex for a time.
He says he remembers that Muhammad Ali used to train in the hotel's showroom.
"I remember a lot of people from that era," Doumani said. "Elvis Presley used to hang out sometimes. Muhammad and Elvis were both black belts in karate and they used to train there. Most people don't know that. I got to sit in on some of those sessions when nobody was around."
Despite the memories, Doumani says he's in favor of the A's building a ballpark at the site.
"It went from being probably the nicest place on the Strip in the 70s to what it is today, which is something that I think an implosion would help," Doumani said. "It's gone really down hill over the last 45 years to be honest about it."
The Tropicana is now owned by the Bally's Corporation. A representative of the company told Channel 13 in an email Wednesday that it had no comment on the reported talks between it and the A's.
