A's Owner John Fisher says new ballpark in Las Vegas approaching $2 billion 

The new athletic stadium in Las Vegas could become the most expensive non-casino structure ever built in Sin City

Constructions in the very early stages, but in a place known for extravagance and big money, that is saying something

A's owner John Fisher told the Nevada Independent that the planned 33,000 capacity stadium is moving toward an April 2028 opening

but the cost is now up in the $2 billion range. That would be more expensive than the home of the Las Vegas Raiders 60,000-seat Allegiant Stadium, which opened in July 2020 at a cost of $1.9 billion

It's also approaching the $2.3 billion cost of the Sphere, an entertainment venue that opened in 2023

The initial cost of the A's proposed park came in at $1.5 billion and was raised to $1.75 billion last year

The official groundbreaking for the stadium took place on June 23rd at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue

This is incredible amount of work and time and effort and so many people's involvement to even bring us to today

And three years from now you know you see the fruits of all of that labor when in 2028 we have opening day out here on the Las Vegas Strip The team told the Las Vegas Stadium Authority in December that budget increases had long been anticipated and those increases are the responsibility of the A Fisher told

the Independent he's not worried about the overruns. The costs have gone up as more detail

comes in. That's fine. From the very beginning, we wanted a design that was unique. Vegas is one

of the most unique towns in the world. We wanted a building that would symbolize the excitement

and uniqueness that is the market. Fisher and the A's were initially on the hook for $1.1 billion

He did not say how the increases will be paid for. U.S. Bank and Goldman Sachs will loan the team

$300 million for the stadium's construction. Another $350 million comes from the state of

Nevada. The A's are hoping to take on investors who would add value to the team, and Fisher said

they've been working to raise up to $550 million for the ballpark. They completed the first

partnership deal last week, signing Aramark as the team's official stadium concessionaire

Fisher said the A's want to build the most intimate ballpark in baseball. We want to have

our fans feel like they're part of the action. The A's action will be at Sutter Health Park in

Sacramento for two more seasons, provided there aren't any construction delays in Las Vegas

The team is pleased with the reception and the attendance they've received in their temporary

home. They're averaging close to 10,000 fans per game. For Straight Arrow News, I'm Chris Francis