A’s send relocation survey to Las Vegas sports fans
Oakland baseball fans may have hoped that the latest stride for the A’s Howard Terminal ballpark project would slow the club’s relocation efforts, but less than a week later, the A’s are gauging interest from Las Vegas sports fans.
Last Tuesday, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors tentatively approved a key part of the A’s financing plan for the new Oakland park. On Monday, the team emailed Las Vegas fans a survey through its Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas Aviators, seeking input on the interest and support level for the team moving and developing a ballpark in Southern Nevada.
Clearly, the county’s vote last week did not answer the questions about where the A’s next home will be. On one hand, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaff said last week the vote “creates a clear path to keep the A’s rooted in Oakland” in a waterfront ballpark. Nevada’s governor appears to believe that as well, saying recently that A’s officials are now just using Las Vegas to leverage their interest in Oakland. The email questionnaires are a reminder that at this point, anything is still possible.
The survey, sent via email with a note reminding that “no decisions about the potential relocation of the A’s or the construction of a new ballpark in Las Vegas have been made,” asks if Aviators fans buy season tickets for other Las Vegas sports teams, including the Raiders, WNBA’s Aces and NHL’s Golden Knights. It also asked for fans’ attitudes about the A’s potentially relocating there, interest level in purchasing
season tickets for an MLB team and thoughts on having a new ballpark on the Las Vegas strip or off it. Other topics included whether a ballpark in Vegas should have a roof and fans’ preferred methods of transportation to the strip and elsewhere.
The email that preceded the 10-minute survey read:
“The Oakland A’s would like to hear from you!
Las Vegas Aviators Fans have been invited to participate in a survey to understand your interest in supporting the A’s as the team considers moving to Las Vegas and developing a new ballpark.
As part of the planning process, the A’s have engaged a third-party company to conduct a market study to determine demand for MLB and a new ballpark in Las Vegas.
Your participation in this survey is very important to the A’s and will help inform decisions regarding the team’s future. The survey will gauge your thoughts and opinions regarding the team, its potential relocation, interest in attending games, and preferred stadium design elements. Please note that no decisions about the potential relocation of the A’s or the construction of a new ballpark in Las Vegas have been made.”
After the World Series ends, A’s president Dave Kaval intends to narrow and release a list of final Las Vegas sites the A’s will pursue should the Howard Terminal project fall apart. Kaval, A’s owner John Fisher and others in the organization have been exploring possible relocation options in Las Vegas since May, days after the A’s released their Howard Terminal term proposal to the public.
Since then, the Howard Terminal project has hit plenty of snags. But the project took a key, albeit symbolic, step last week with Alameda County supervisors voting 4-1 in a nonbinding vote signaling the county’s intention to contribute a substantial portion of property tax growth generated by the project for Howard Terminal infrastructure over the next 45 years.
“Tonight’s vote by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors is a historic action that creates a clear path to keep the A’s rooted in Oakland and build a world-class waterfront ballpark district that will benefit Bay Area residents for generations to come,” Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a written statement after the vote on Oct. 26.
Alameda County supervisors said the vote set a mark for them to continue looking into the county’s commitment.
“I think our willingness to at least go further based on the motion gives the county the opportunity to do more due diligence around this,” Supervisor Nate Miley said.
Without enough money to reimburse the A’s for the infrastructure funding, estimated to cost $400 million, the City of Oakland asked Alameda County for their share of additional tax revenue. If Alameda County doesn’t opt in and a deal at Howard Terminal is not reached, the team could follow through on plans to leave Oakland after its lease at the Coliseum expires in 2024.
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak told ESPN Radio in Las Vegas last week that he viewed the vote as evidence that the A’s were using his state as a “stalking horse” against Oakland. He also reiterated that stadium support from the state would not be an option beyond infrastructure.
“I told them it couldn’t be subsidized,” Sisolak said, “There’s not any mood on behalf of the legislature or myself right now, frankly, to have a tax increase.”
Meanwhile, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred used the A’s company line of pursuing both options.
“The affirmative vote is a positive step,” Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said in an email to the Las Vegas Review-Journal after the vote.
“The A’s will continue to pursue the Oakland project as well as the Las Vegas alternative.”