It appears as if the Athletics could play in Oakland a bit longer than expected.
With the A's lease to play at Oakland Coliseum set to expire after the 2024 MLB season, the team will meet with City of Oakland and Alameda County officials Thursday to discuss a lease extension, the San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea reported Tuesday, citing industry sources.
In attendance at the meeting will be Oakland chief of staff Leigh Hanson, City Council member Rebecca Kaplan, county supervisor David Haubert and A’s president Dave Kaval, Shea also reported.
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There has been plenty of speculation about where the A's will play after the 2024 season. The team will be in a state of limbo when the Coliseum lease expires, as the franchise awaits construction of its new Las Vegas ballpark, expected to be completed in 2028.
But there have been "ongoing conversations" between the A’s and Oakland about a possible lease extension leading up to the Thursday meeting, Shea reported, citing an industry source. The A's organization reportedly has visited Sutter Health Park in Sacramento and a stadium in South Jordan, Utah, as possible temporary homes. Kaval also has listed Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, as an option.
In the meantime, the Tropicana Las Vegas will close April 2 to make way for the construction of the new A's stadium. Plans state construction of the $1.5 billion, 33,000-seat ballpark is expected to begin in April 2025.
In what has been a years-long saga, the A's plan to relocate from Oakland to Las Vegas received approval from MLB owners in a unanimous November vote. The planned stadium will be built on 9 acres of the Tropicana's 35-acre site, with a resort owned by Bally's Corp. set for the remaining land.
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As for the funding, the Nevada State Legislature approved $380 million of public money to help pay for the new ballpark, while the A's will supply the remaining $1.1 billion.
Las Vegas mayor Carolyn Goodman recently stated the A's plans to build their ballpark along the busy strip didn't make sense, and seemingly urged the franchise to remain in Oakland before walking back her comments.
And while the franchise seems to be making headway toward following through with the relocation plans, it appears as if fans in Oakland could attend games at the Coliseum for a few more seasons.