Now that the mob-era Tropicana complex is permanently closed on the Las Vegas Strip, attention has shifted to a baseball stadium planned for this site for the Oakland Athletics’ new home.
On Gambling. com’s “The Edge,” Geoff Schumacher, vice president of exhibits and systems at the Mob Museum in Las Vegas, said the public “loves the concept of baseball coming to Las Vegas. “
However, A’s planned move to those “genuine prime properties” in the hotel lobby near the airport has sparked “another point of contention,” he said, adding that some have questioned A’s ownership.
After the demolition of the Tropicana, a 33,000-seat Major League Baseball stadium is expected to be built in time for the A’s to start the 2028 season there.
In Akland, team owner John Fisher has been criticized for years for poor athletic functionality.
“People wonder if he’s the spouse that Las Vegas needs to paint with,” Schumacher said.
By contrast, the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights have an “incredibly giant property” under Bill Foley, Schumacher said. The Golden Knights, defending Stanley Cup champions, have enjoyed good luck since entering the league in 2017 as an expansion franchise.
With the Las Vegas Valley poised to bring Major League Baseball up to its athletic options, Schumacher noted that “there’s a lot of positivity about the A’s as well. “
“A lot of other people are very excited to attend a soccer game here in our hometown,” he said.
In addition, Schumacher highlighted the evolution of the valley as a destination.
To be a thriving hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in the age of mega-hotels, he said, “you have to evolve” with a host of new things to offer guests.
In recent years, the Tropicana hasn’t been in its form, he said.
“Las Vegas wants to be competitive, especially on the Las Vegas Strip,” Schumacher said.