Clark County has greenlit a commercial demolition permit application from Bally’s, the owner of the Las Vegas Strip’s Tropicana resort, with the estimated value of the hotel’s implosion set at $15 million.
The permit application was officially filed on April 11 and swiftly approved by April 20. Bally’s now has until October 20 to proceed with the demolition, as per county records. However, the permit’s issuance is contingent upon Bally’s settlement of over $48,000 in associated fees.
The demolition is part of a grander scheme to pave the way for future development on the site, notably the Oakland Athletics’ proposed $1.5 billion, 33,000-seat ballpark.
Soo Kim, Chairman of Bally’s, had expressed intentions for a September or October implosion, pending demolition company GGG Demolition Inc.’s acquisition of the necessary permits. “There are some preconditions that have to be met that they are working on,” Kim said in correspondence with the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. owns the land beneath Tropicana, while Bally’s holds ownership of the hotel and compensates GLPI through a ground lease. GLPI has pledged a significant $175 million towards shared expenses concerning Tropican’as demolition and the construction of the A’s ballpark. Kim noted that the $15 million demolition fee will be covered by that funding.
The Tropicana shuttered its doors on April 2, just before its 67th anniversary, in preparation for the impending demolition.
The A’s stadium is slated to occupy 9 acres of the 35-acre site, with Bally’s strategizing to develop a new resort on the remaining land in the future. Liquidation efforts have commenced on the property since early April, with International Content Liquidations overseeing the sale of items from around 1,800 hotel rooms, a dozen food and beverage outlets, and other amenities.
Public sales are anticipated to occur at a later date, with liquidation currently by appointment only.
Construction on the ballpark is scheduled to commence in April 2025, necessitating approvals from the Las Vegas Stadium Authority. While a community benefits agreement has been greenlit, agreements regarding development, non-relocation, and lease are still pending approval, delaying the availability of public funding for construction.
Senate Bill 1, signed into law by Gov. Joe Lombardo last summer, earmarks up to $380 million in public funding for the ballpark project.
With the lease at the Oakland Coliseum expiring by year-end and no extension agreement reached with Bay Area officials, the A’s are poised to relocate to Sacramento for the MLB seasons from 2025 to 2027.
Their Las Vegas tenure is scheduled to commence in 2028 at the proposed Strip ballpark. The Las Vegas Stadium Authority’s upcoming meeting on May 16 may provide insights into the progression of the remaining agreements required for the ballpark project.
