A's hiring 2 firms to manage construction of proposed Las Vegas ballpark
OAKLAND – The Oakland A's have chosen a pair of companies to manage the construction of a new ballpark for the team in Las Vegas following talks that have essentially ended with officials in Oakland, the A's announced Monday.
Mortensen and McCarthy Building Companies will manage all construction-related activities for a ballpark when the Las Vegas Stadium Authority approves the hiring of the two firms.
No one from the authority immediately responded to a request for information on when the authority might consider that approval. The item is not on the agenda for the authority's Aug. 24 meeting.
Oakland A's President Dave Kaval called the two companies the best in their field. The two businesses managed the construction of Allegiant Stadium for the Las Vegas Raiders, who were once located in Oakland. Allegiant Stadium was completed in 2020 following 31 months of construction.
If the Oakland A's leave their hometown, they will join the Raiders and the Golden State Warriors who left for Las Vegas and San Francisco. Oaklanders have been working to bring a Women's National Basketball Association team to their city.
Nevada may provide $380 million toward the construction of a stadium for the A's. But an opposition group called Schools Over Stadiums may block the deal via legal action if necessary.
The group has not filed suit yet.
Schools Over Stadiums says school children in Nevada are suffering from the largest class sizes in the country and per-pupil spending in Nevada is 48th in the country.
"This is just more of a rushed process," said Alexander Marks, a spokesperson for Schools Over Stadiums on Monday.
Marks said it's odd that the A's are announcing the construction management firms before providing new renderings for the ballpark or basic ballpark designs.
"I think the release is just a way for the A's and (A's owner) John Fisher to make it look like they're moving forward without really moving forward, Marks said.
He thinks it's putting the cart before the horse.
The Oakland A's lease on the RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland is up next year and Kaval said previously that the stadium's useful life is up.
Major League Baseball has yet to approve the A's move to Las Vegas.