Las Vegas strip's demolition plans seemingly fast-tracked as Oakland A's awaits construction to begin for their new ballpark

The proposed new home of the Oakland A's in Las Vegas remains unbuilt, but recent developments show that work could soon get unde way to house the MLB's newest franchise.

The Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort has been designated as the site for the team's new, $1.5 billion venue on the Vegas strip. According to the Nevada Independent, the hotel is not accepting any bookings after April 1, 2024.

Although MLB baseball is not expected to come to Vegas until 2028, this could mean that construction could soon get underway.

"Here is a pic of the Tropicana Hotel/Casino before it disappears into history to be replaced by a stadium and occupied by a transplant team from Oakland" - Wugiwil

The 35,000 retractable roof stadium will take years to complete. Meanwhile, the Oakland A's lease of their home stadium, the Oakland Coliseum, expires at the end of the 2024 season. For the team that finished with the worst record in the MLB last year, it leaves far more questions than answers.

Several venues have been mentioned as potential place-holder homes for the Athletics. Among them are Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, home of the San Francisco Giants' Triple-A team. Moreover, a consortium of business interests recently erected several billboards in Utah, lobbying for the A's to make the Beehive State their temporary home.

Approval for the move was approved by a unanimous vote put to MLB owners earlier this year. Despite the decision having been made, Oakland Athletics fans remain committed to keeping the team in Oakland and have staged several demonstrations over the past months demanding that owner John Fisher sell the team.

The move follows the NFL's Oakland Raiders, who became the Las Vegas Raiders after a relocation to Sin City in 2020.

When the Oakland A's finally move into their new park on the grounds of the Tropicana hotel, it will mark the first time in over 100 years that the organization will not share the venue with another team.

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Oakland A's have one more season to play their hearts out

Whatever comes of the Oakland A's in 2024 and beyond, the focus needs to be on 2024.

With a record of 50-112 in 2023, the A's finished six games behind the Kansas City Royals, who were the second-worst club in baseball. There are indeed plenty of uncertainties, but that should not distract from trying to avoid a disastrous 2024.