Major League Baseball’s Athletics gave a first look at its proposed $1.5 billion Las Vegas ballpark, naming Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) as lead master planning design and HNTB as sports/hospitality designer and architect of record.
The joint venture of Mortenson Construction and McCarthy Building Cos. was announced last August as construction manager for the project, which will occupy a nine-acre portion of the existing 35-acre Tropicana Resort on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip and adjacent. at Harry Reid International Airport.
Renderings released by the Athletics on March 5 show a 33,000-seat facility enclosed by five overlapping layers of roof, a design the team says is inspired by traditional baseball pennants.
Image courtesy of The Athletics, design by BIG/Image by NegativTo provide an open-air feel with natural light and views of the Las Vegas Strip to the north, the outfield will be supported by what the Athletics call “the world’s largest wire mesh glass window.” Other features include upper and lower bowls to bring spectators closer to the field and an 18,000-square-foot jumbotron, the largest in major league baseball. The parking plan supports up to 2,500 on-site parking spaces, as well as a two- to three-acre lot that will extend from the northwest corner of the site to the main concourse.
In a press release issued by the team, BIG founder and creative director Bjarke Ingels compared the stadium’s architecture to “a spherical armadillo,” influenced both by proximity to the Strip and the local climate . Ingels added that “all direct sunlight is blocked, while all soft daylight is allowed to bathe the field in natural light.”
memage Courtesy of The Athletics, Design by BIG/Image by NegativThe Athletics say the stadium design will be refined as it navigates the approval process, with the current schedule calling for the facility to be ready for the 2028 season. ‘team at the Oakland, Calif., Coliseum expires after this year, but it’s not known where they’ll play until the Las Vegas field is ready.
Funding for the stadium includes a $380 million public financing package approved by the Nevada Legislature last year, along with $180 million in transferable tax credits. Clark County will issue $125 million in general bonds and contribute $25 million to build the infrastructure surrounding the stadium.
Meanwhile, a phased master plan to redevelop the entire 35-acre Tropicana site is currently being finalized by Bally’s Corp., the complex’s current owner, and Gaming & Leisure Properties, according to Athletics.
