Rio Emerges As Potential Site For MLB Stadium In Las Vegas

The Oakland A’s, a Major League Baseball (MLB) team, continues to negotiate a deal for a new stadium and is considering Las Vegas as a potential new home. This possibility has been explored for the past few years.

MLB Commissioner, Rob Manfred, indicates the team’s current focus is on Las Vegas, though Oakland is still contemplating a new stadium plan. The long-speculated location at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino has resurfaced as a potential site for a new MLB stadium in the popular Nevada gambling destination.

The A’s are persisting with their “parallel negotiation” tactic with both Oakland and Las Vegas for a new baseball stadium. There’s an urgency to these negotiations as the team’s existing lease at RingCentral Coliseum will expire after the 2025 MLB season.

The A’s search is taking longer than expected, likely necessitating the team to play in a temporary location in 2025. The construction of a new stadium may not be completed in time for the season.

Potential A’s Stadium Sites

For over a year, the team has been in talks with Oakland to construct a new stadium within a colossal Waterfront Ball Park District. Additionally, should the A’s choose to relocate from Oakland, they are exploring various potential sites for a new baseball stadium in Las Vegas.

The A’s have already dismissed the idea of upgrading the existing Las Vegas Ballpark, where its AAA affiliate team plays. However, they are still contemplating the land where the Tropicana stands as a possible location for an MLB stadium.

Despite not commenting publicly, Phil Ruffin, the owner of Treasure Island and Circus Circus, seems unwilling to sell his Las Vegas Festival Grounds land at Sahara on the Vegas Strip. Meanwhile, Wynn Resorts has denied rumors of intending to sell their land located across the street from their Vegas Strip property.

While finding a prime location on the Vegas Strip may be challenging, there could be plenty of land for a stadium just a few minutes away from the main tourist corridor in Las Vegas.

Rio Land May Be Available For A’s

Over the past decade, there have been numerous speculations about the future of Rio. The rumors intensified in 2014 when a Las Vegas gossip columnist tweeted an unverified rumor suggesting a possible sale of the property.

While the rumor turned out to be false, it sparked a flurry of other rumors about Rio. In 2019, Caesars eventually sold Rio. They agreed to a lease that would allow them to continue running the casino for three years, giving the new owners, Dreamscape, time to formulate a plan for the property’s future.

This year, Dreamscape will assume control of the Rio’s operations. Ever since the company acquired the property, it has been devising future plans.

Stadium Won’t Affect Rio’s Casino And Hotel

It appears that the new proprietors of Rio and its adjoining land have been in discussions with the A’s about utilizing a portion of the land for an MLB stadium. A representative from Dreamscape Properties stated:

For several years now, the company has been discussing the possibility of using a part of the excess land at the Rio for an MLB ballpark. They continue to be open to this idea.

The truth is, Rio occupies 88.5 acres of land situated just west of the I-15. There is sufficient space to construct an MLB stadium without interfering with the casino and hotel towers.

Despite being a substantial casino hotel, much of the Rio’s land is empty and utilized for parking. In 2019, there were rumors that 19 acres of the Rio property would be allocated for a MLB stadium.

It’s odd that neither Dreamscape nor the A’s have brought this up in the past two years – but that’s a tale for another time. There is ample space at the Rio site for an MLB stadium.

The saga of the A’s potential move to Las Vegas may conclude sooner rather than later. However, if it does actually happen is a completely different matter. Stay tuned!

Dreamscape Secures Financing For Renovations

Recently, Dreamscape Companies secured financing worth $850 million. A portion of these funds will be used for a multi-stage renovation of a property, which will henceforth be known as “Rio Hotel & Casino Las Vegas”.

The company intends to maintain the basic structure of the Rio, while updating it with contemporary amenities and new venues that cater to modern-day travelers. Dreamscape has not yet revealed many details about the future changes to be implemented at Rio.

Rio + Hyatt Hotels

The company declared a partnership with Hyatt Hotels last year.

The Vice President of Real Estate and Development at Hyatt, Kimo Bertram, stated:

We are excited that Dreamscape will assist us in introducing several full-service Hyatt brands to Las Vegas. We’ll begin with a Hyatt Regency hotel, which we trust will fulfill the brand promise of the Hyatt Regency. This includes fostering meaningful connections in contemporary spaces designed for interaction, socializing, and collaboration.

We acknowledge that Las Vegas is a crucial destination for our guests, World of Hyatt members, and clients. This project signifies a major stride for Hyatt as we persistently expand our brands in the markets highly valued by our dedicated travelers.

The Rio is set for a renovation and rebranding under multiple full-service Hyatt brands. One of the hotel towers will be converted into a Hyatt Regency hotel with 1,501 rooms. These hotel rooms are expected to be an average of 580 square feet each. Even though the term “suites” will be dropped from the name, the dimensions of the rooms are anticipated to remain the same.

At least one other Hyatt brand will “brand or affiliate” with the other hotel tower.

Resorts World Las Vegas has established a comparable partnership with another hotel brand, Hilton. The property includes rooms under the Hilton, Conrad, and Crockfords brands, each providing a varying price range and room style.

The company will carry out updates on the casino, restaurants, bars, retail, and pool deck at Rio, which will continue to operate during this period. The duration of the renovation has not been specified.