By MARK ANDERSON
AP Sports Writer

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Oakland Athletics and their design teams released renderings Tuesday of the club’s planned $1.5 billion stadium in Las Vegas that show five overlapping layers with a similar look to the famous Sydney Opera House.

The A’s hope to move into that 33,000-seat domed stadium in 2028, depending mostly on the construction timeline. A glass window beyond the outfield provides an outdoor feel with views of the Las Vegas Strip.

Also included is an 18,000-square-foot video board, which would be the largest in Major League Baseball.

Bjarke Ingels Group and HNTB are the architectural firms in charge of the design.

“The collaboration between BIG’s creativity and HNTB’s technical expertise allows for a truly innovative and bold design while ensuring an unmatched fan experience,” A’s owner John Fisher said in a statement. “We hope to add to the dynamic atmosphere and liveliness of the Las Vegas Strip, creating a welcoming environment for all of Southern Nevada.”

The stadium would be built on nine acres of the 35-acre site owned by Bally’s on the corner of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard. The Tropicana resort that currently sits at that location will be demolished to make room for the stadium and a hotel. The $1.5 billion price tag includes $380 million in taxpayer money approved by the Nevada Legistlature.

“The A’s have created a remarkable design that adds to the rich fabric of must-see attractions in Las Vegas,” Bally’s Chairman Soo Kim said in a statement. “This is a once-in-a-generation project, and we are thrilled for the opportunity to develop a comprehensive site plan at this iconic location. We look forward to sharing more on our plan in due course.”

The Sydney Opera House and its roof resembling sails billowing over the city’s harborfront make up one of Australia’s most iconic views.

There also are plans for 2,500 parking spots at the new stadium, though fans will have nearby garages they also can use. Garages are used for parking at T-Mobile Arena, which is down the street on Tropicana Avenue.

This would be the smallest stadium in MLB, though Tropicana Field where the Tampa Bay Rays play has a capacity of 25,000 when the upper levels are closed off. It otherwise holds just under 40,000. The Rays, however, have announced plans to play in a 30,000-seat stadium to be constructed near the current site.

Cleveland plays at Progressive Field, which now seats 34,830. It was 43,345 when the park opened in 1994.

MLB owners unanimously approved in November the A’s application to relocate, but there remain many questions before they move.

The A’s will stay in Oakland at least through this season, but no announcements have been made about their home games beyond this year. They met recently with the city to discuss the possibility of an agreement to play there beyond 2024.

Playing across the San Francisco Bay in the Giants home is another possibility, as are a temporary move to Salt Lake City or Sacramento, California.

Though the A’s have set 2028 as the target date to play in Las Vegas, construction or legal delays could push back that timeline.

The A’s are set to play spring training exhibition games at the Triple-A Las Vegas Ballpark on Friday and Saturday.

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A new ballpark for the Hillsboro Hops is in the works for the northwest side of the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex, and the design team is working to ensure it becomes a community asset.

The city is partnering with the Hops to support the team in efforts to meet new Major League Baseball “High A” full-season requirements. These standards are for security, home and visiting club facilities, field playability, and maintenance.

Design-builder Mortenson is responsible for project delivery. Design partners SRG Partnership and Populous are the architects of record.

A progressive design-build method was chosen for the project. Work by Mortenson, SRG Partnership and Populous has been very collaborative, blurring the lines of each firm’s role in the design, Mortenson market executive Trent Rehfeldt said. That has helped push the project forward.

“Progressive design-build is really when we come on board based on our qualifications and then work with the owner to develop the program,” said Mike Clifford, vice president of operations in Mortenson’s Portland office.

The design phase began in June 2022, and the team is now finishing the programming phase. One of the priorities was to balance players’ needs with what makes the best fan experience. Ideas will continue to evolve to maximize value for everyone, SRG Partnership architect Aaron Pleskac said.

The ballpark will host not only Hops baseball games but also community events. Both the team and the city agreed to that commitment for the approximately $120 million facility.

“It’s really, really important for them to be a partner with the community,” Pleskac said.

The stadium’s capacity will be 6,000 people for minor league baseball games or 7,000 for events and festivals, Rehfeldt said.

“It will house all the required MLB program for player development and concessions and space for corporate events,” he said.

Construction is scheduled to begin late this summer or early this fall and expected to finish in time for the start of the Hops’ 2025 season.

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Lane County is looking to increase tourism-related tax rates to help pay for construction of a proposed multipurpose outdoor facility at the Lane 91��Ƶ Center. The Lane County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a proposal to increase both the transient room tax rate and the car rental tax rate by 2 percent. Staff will prepare an ordinance for approval.

The Eugene Emeralds minor league baseball team has been in operation in Lane County since 1955. The team currently plays at the University of Oregon‘s PK Park. After being promoted to a higher level and gaining an extended season, and Major League Baseball introducing new facility requirements in 2020, the Emeralds will not be able to continue to use PK Park after 2024.

In fall 2021, the Emeralds approached Lane County about the possibility of building a stadium at the Lane 91��Ƶ Center. The county board asked staff to evaluate the request as part of the Lane 91��Ƶ Center master plan process. ECONorthwest conducted an economic impact report on what a new stadium would mean for the county.

“Commissioners have asked staff to assess the feasibility of locating the facility at the events center, recognizing that it could also serve as a home to an anchor tenant for the Eugene Emeralds, but also serve as a venue for concerts, for school events, for tournaments, and as an emergency shelter,” Lane County Administrator Steve Mokrohisky stated during the board meeting on Tuesday.

Staff has looked at construction and preliminary agreements with the Emeralds, Mokrohisky added.

Turner Construction investigated what the project might cost, Lane County Facilities and Capital Planning Manager Shawn Waite said. The firm’s cost estimate was $78 million, including soft costs and adjustments, for a construction start in 2023.

“There is some variability there,” Mokrohisky said. “We have confidence we can build a project, in terms of construction costs, in that range.”

A total of $17.5 million ($10 million from the Emeralds and $7.5 million from the state) in up-front funding has been identified for the project. The board asked the project team in May to identify additional funding options.

The unknown factors are the costs of materials and labor. Also, Turner Construction’s estimate does not include immediate occupancy requirements. When the project comes back before commissioners next month, there should be two cost estimates for review: one with immediate occupancy and one without.

In June, the county board passed an order approving an exemption to the competitive bidding process and authorizing procurement by Request for Qualifications of a design-build contractor. The RFQ closed on Aug. 10. A request for proposals was to be posted by Aug. 25. Responses are due by Sept. 1.

“Staff will return to the board in October with options if additional funding is identified,” Waite said.

The remaining funding gap is estimated at $80 million, according to Christine Moody, Lane County’s budget and financial planning manager. The project team’s goal is to not use local taxpayer resources but rather tourism-related revenues. A 1 percent increase in the transient room tax rate would generate an estimated $1.8 million annually and a 1 percent increase in the car rental tax rate would generate an estimated $325,000 annually. In addition to those revenues, the project team could seek more money from the state.

The county is identifying the funding available first and then will work with a design-build firm. The facility’s design would be based on that budget.

As the project moves forward, the amount of community outreach will continue to expand.

“The neighbors and residents directly in that area will need to be a significant part of the design process if and when we pursue that,” Mokrohisky said.

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