Finally - a new ballpark in Las Vegas

[Vegas Halo Fan]

 

After almost 20 years of discussions, and more than a decade of Las Vegas being last choice in AAA because of our poor facilities, ground will finally be broken on a new ballpark. The park is projected to open in time for the 2019 season. The design is supposed to lend itself well to expansion in the event that MLB comes calling. The announcement came one day after the New York Mets announced that the upcoming season will be their last as the 51s parent club, because they have bought the Syracuse Chiefs of the International League. The Washington Nationals are currently Syracuse's parent club, but I don't know what other affiliation contracts are ending after 2018.

[tdawg87]

Is there a Mandalay Bay overlooking the right field bleachers?

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

17 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

Is there a Mandalay Bay overlooking the right field bleachers?

too soon

[Vegas Halo Fan]

The ballpark will be located roughly at 215 and Sahara, adjacent to Downtown Summerlin, for those familiar.

[arch stanton]

A little nicer neighborhood than Cashman

[UndertheHalo]

I read somewhere that it’s obscenely expensive for AAA ball park. 

[gurn67]

To get an MLB franchise in Vegas they would have to have a dome.

[Slegnaac]

4 hours ago, gurn67 said:

To get an MLB franchise in Vegas they would have to have a dome.

Shouldn't be a problem.

The State bird is the Crane, you see them all over Las Vegas.

[Tank]

11 hours ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

too soon

i think it will always be too soon for this one.

[Tank]

where the current 51s ballpark is located is next to some kind of convention center (i think). my group got asked to sing at a religious crusade there a few years ago. we parked and while walking to the meeting hall, we noticed the ballpark and several fans headed to a game as both facilities shared the parking lot. we sang there on a friday and saturday, and when we finished singing on saturday, another building in the complex was doing a gun show. it was kind of a triple play scenario for ultra right wing cons.

[Jobu]

13 hours ago, UndertheHalo said:

I read somewhere that it’s obscenely expensive for AAA ball park. 

Taxpayers don't mind.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

12 hours ago, Tank said:

where the current 51s ballpark is located is next to some kind of convention center (i think). my group got asked to sing at a religious crusade there a few years ago. we parked and while walking to the meeting hall, we noticed the ballpark and several fans headed to a game as both facilities shared the parking lot. we sang there on a friday and saturday, and when we finished singing on Saturday, another building in the complex was doing a gun show. it was kind of a triple play scenario for ultra right wing cons.

The Cashman Center is adjacent to Cashman Field. It has hosted craft shows, gun shows, home decor shows and a lot of other things. Cashman Field will remain as the home of our minor league soccer team, although it will be reconfigured to make it more suitable for that sport.

[Make Angels Great Again]

On 10/15/2017 at 4:36 AM, gurn67 said:

To get an MLB franchise in Vegas they would have to have a dome.

 

Seriously. I would dread to stand in the outfield in the summer.

[yk9001]

The city did an end around on paying for the stadium.  Instead of paying for the stadium, the city of Las Vegas paid an oversized fee for the naming rights.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/news-columns/victor-joecks/lvcvas-80-million-ballpark-deal-to-las-vegas-51s-is-a-major-league-ripoff/

What a frigging rip off.

[Angel Oracle]

Isn't Cashman Field like a gazillion years old?

[yk9001]

33 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Isn't Cashman Field like a gazillion years old?

Doesn't mean the city should pay for the new one.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

5 hours ago, Angel Oracle said:

Isn't Cashman Field like a gazillion years old?

Cashman Field was opened in 1983. It's the third-oldest park in AAA, behind Pawtucket's McCoy Stadium and Tacoma's Cheney Stadium. It lacks even basic amenities. For example. the two teams share a dressing room in a building outside the ballpark. There is no underground hitting facility, and the batting cage is literally in the parking lot on asphalt. As far as fan amenities, unless you count the misters coving part of the main grandstand, nothing. There aren't enough bathrooms or concession stands even when the park is one-third full. IMO the Dodgers took a contract here hoping that the city would get off their collective duffs and replace the park (and for all that I know, someone may have privately promised them that). Most of the parking is on a steep hill overlooking the stadium, which creates an issue for older fans and people with mobility problems.

The homeless camps and the shelters in the neighborhood add to the game day atmosphere, as do the gunshots that can occasionally be heard in your seat from the surrounding neighborhood.

I grant you that the method of funding is a bit suspect, but had it not happened, we would have been without baseball within four years at a time when the city is pursuing MLB.

[mpcincal]

Interesting how the affiliation dance will go after next season. The Mets purchased the Triple-A Syracuse franchise, so they will be with the Chiefs after that team's deal with the Nationals runs out. Most expect the 51s to be the proverbial last remaining girl at the dance again. But if solid progress is made on the construction of the park in 2018, teams like the A's (now with Nashville) or San Diego (now with El Paso) could take a look at Las Vegas if it looks like the new park will open for 2019 or 2020. Granted, though, both Nashville and El Paso have very new ballparks and facilities that the major league teams are probably happy with, so it remains to be seen.

P.S. The Angels have already extended their deal with Salt Lake (which they always seem to do early), so they won't be a candidate.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

San Diego would be ironic. The Padres were the (then) Las Vegas Stars' parent club from their inception. Finally, local management decided that SD had not put good enough talent here for the team to be successful, so they moved on.

[disarcina]

Great news for Vegas -- am surprised that Las Vegas isn't building a MLB ready park - or perhaps a park that can easily be expanded to be an MLB park.

Now that the Golden Knights have broken the professional sports teams barrier in Vegas -- other sports are going to follow like lemmings.

It is/ was really great to see the Golden Knights get off to a good start in Las Vegas and while the whole Mandalay Bay massacre was worse than terrible -- the Golden Knights organization paid a very appropriate tribute/ memorial to the fallen/ injured on opening night.

I do think Las Vegas baseball -- even at the AAA level, probably requires a retractable roof like Safeco Field in Seattle and other places -- not for the rain but for the heat !

Congrats to Vegas on the new baseball park -- as Vegas Halos Fan notes, they've needed one for a long time and Cashman is several generations past its prime.

The Mandalay Bay incident has been just terrible but Vegas stays Strong and in the words of Tom Petty "Won't Back Down"  -- I can only imagine what security is going to be like when our group goes to NFR later this year --  NFR plus George Strait.........getting through the airport might be the easy part.........

[disarcina]

Downtown Summerlin -- that's the high rent district..........a long way from Cashman Field.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

2 hours ago, disarcina said:

Great news for Vegas -- am surprised that Las Vegas isn't building a MLB ready park - or perhaps a park that can easily be expanded to be an MLB park.

Now that the Golden Knights have broken the professional sports teams barrier in Vegas -- other sports are going to follow like lemmings...

It is not beyond the realm of possibility that we could go from zero pro sports to four within a 5-10 year period.

As far as major league ready, one of the 51s staff told me that Cashman Field was built with the supports already in place to add an upper deck and outfield bleachers. I don't know the exact plan for the new park, but word is that it could be ready for MLB within a year or two.

[Blarg]

This is as dumb as when the Rangers put in a brand new stadium in Arlington without a dome. You will not get a fanbase draw from the cool environment of the casinos to sweat your ass off to see minor league baseball. 

[arch stanton]

The location is in what would be considered the burbs of Vegas. Polar opposite of Cashman. The crowds they'll draw will be mostly locals but if they were wanting a Major League team they would definitely have to do something to ease the heat

[Vegas Halo Fan]

About the financing - an article in today's paper says that the deal actually saves the city $1M per year. They are spending $5M per season maintaining and operating Cashman Field. Once the 51s move out, the city is no longer responsible, and we won't have an antiquated park with neither the charm of some older parks nor the amenities of the newer ones. Word is that the team would prefer a western affiliate. Maintenance of the new park will be the responsibility of the ownership group.