To hit a home run with the A’s, city must be willing to swing for the fences
As sure as baseball fans rise for the seventh-inning stretch to sing “Take Me Out To the Ballgame,” it was inevitable that the prospect of the Oakland A’s relocating to Las Vegas would bring out a different kind of crowd. That group is the one that cries “No public funding” anytime something like this comes up in Southern Nevada.
And sure enough, hardliners are already drawing a line in the sand, saying Las Vegas should reject any proposal involving tax dollars for construction of a stadium for the team.
But this pre-emptive stiff-arming simply isn’t constructive, nor is it in the community’s best interests. While it would be ideal for a potential stadium to be 100% privately funded, Las Vegas shouldn’t slam the door on talks involving public funding.
Our community has a lot to gain from becoming a Major League Baseball town, so a public investment in a team could make sense depending on how it’s structured.
Not only would having a team here provide entertainment for the thousands upon thousands of baseball fans in our community, it would be an added attraction for visitors. Look at what’s happened with the Vegas Golden Knights: Not only has the team developed a large and passionate fan base, but the Knights routinely draw opposing fans who build a Las Vegas vacation around rooting on their team.
And while the coronavirus pandemic wiped out in-person attendance at Allegiant Stadium, wait until this fall when locals and visitors pour in for Las Vegas Raiders games. The stadium, which was built using $750 million in public funding, is projected to generate an economic benefit of $620 million annually once it can operate at 100% capacity with a full slate of football games, concerts and other events. (This despite the “no public funding” crowd crying foul about it too, and trying to derail it.)
No doubt, an MLB team would also add to the city’s draw as a tourism site. With 81 home games on a major-league schedule, there’s a lot of revenue-generating potential on the table.
Of course, there are also a great many variables. The success of the team plays a part — it certainly has added to the Golden Knights’ allure that they’re one of the winningest expansion teams in the history of any pro sport. The financial performance of the team also hinges partly on whether it can endear itself to local fans. The Knights also did a remarkable job on this front, by providing a rally point for the community after the Oct. 1 shooting and providing ongoing community service and outreach.
Then there’s the prestige that would come with adding an MLB team to our mix of major pro sports franchises, which currently consists of the Raiders, Knights and WNBA’S Las Vegas Aces. The rise in status can’t hurt our visibility among companies looking for places to relocate or for expansion, which is something to consider given the urgent importance of diversifying our economy.
That’s why public funding for a stadium is at least worth discussing, as opposed to being a dead-on-arrival prospect. That’s especially the case if a project could be supported by tourism taxes, as was the case with Allegiant Stadium.
Community and state leaders need to guard carefully against overburdening our visitors and local taxpayers, and keep any public funding to a reasonable level.
But it would be foolish to cut off any discussion about the use of tax dollars. Let’s not forget that the A’s are scouting several other cities as well — a list that reportedly includes Nashville, Tenn.; San Jose, Calif.; Montreal and Charlotte, N.C., among others — and you can bet that at least some of those cities would be open to negotiating a deal involving public funds.
A wild card, of course, is whether the A’s are serious about relocating or are simply using Las Vegas as leverage to negotiate a new stadium deal in Oakland.
But there are reasons to believe that Las Vegas is a legitimate player here. The A’s are well aware of how things have played out for the current pro teams in our city, and they also know there’s strong support for baseball among local fans. Their Triple-a team, the Las Vegas Aviators, drew the strongest attendance in the minor leagues during 2019, the last full season before the pandemic, and even attracted larger crowds than pro teams on some nights.
Las Vegas could be a lucrative new home for the team, and the A’s certainly have something to offer us as a tourist attraction and economic driver.
Shutting down any talk of tax dollars? That would be like going to the plate with no intention of swinging.