Athletics' Las Vegas ballpark site deal 'disappointing' to Oakland mayor
Mayor Thao: A's Las Vegas deal 'extremely disappointing' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao on Thursday said news of the Athletics signing a binding purchase agreement for a potential ballpark site in Las Vegas is "extremely disappointing."
"The city of Oakland has for years worked to come to an agreement to keep the A's rooted here in the city of Oakland," Thao said in the press conference. "On many occasions, we were able to overcome seemingly insurmountable barriers and we showed our commitment to the team and its fans over and over again."
Thao stated she learned of the news via a phone call from A's president Dave Kaval at 6 p.m. Wednesday night.
"I want to be very clear, this announcement happened mid-negotiations, and it shows that they had no interest in reaching a deal with Oakland at all," Thao said. "Oakland is not interested in being used as leverage in the A's negotiations with Las Vegas. It is disrespectful to our residents and our fans to string the city along this way.
"We will not continue discussions under these circumstances and will instead work for a development deal that actually creates opportunities for Oaklanders and includes partners that are committed to the success of our city, our communities, our residents and our businesses."
Although the city of Oakland ceased negotiations with the A's, Thao said the door still is slightly open for the team to remain in the Bay.
"What it looks like from the outside is that they've always wanted to leave the city of Oakland," Thao said. "Again, the ball is in their court. They're the ones who called me and said they have a land deal in Las Vegas. If they'd like to call me back and say they would like to negotiate, I'm more than happy to take that phone call."
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Kaval said Wednesday night the team finalized a deal last week to buy the 49-acre site where the A’s plan to build the stadium close to the Las Vegas Strip with a seating capacity of 30,000 to 35,000 fans.
The A’s will work with Nevada and Clark County on a public-private partnership to fund the stadium. Kaval said the A’s hope to break ground by next year and would hope to move to their new home by 2027.
