A lot of Las Vegas Strip projects get announced and never get built.
That was almost the case with Fontainebleau Las Vegas, a resort casino on the North Strip that sat dormant and partly built for multiple years. Last year it was rescued with a new funding package, and it's on track for a late-2023 opening.
Fontainebleau, which has literally been in various phases of development for 20 years, is the rare project that will (probably) beat the odds. Many other high-profile Las Vegas Strip construction projects get to a press conference, maybe even a groundbreaking, and then never actually happen.
DON'T MISS: Huge Las Vegas Strip Project Hanging By a Thread
Jackie Robinson Jr's plan to build a 23,000-seat sports and entertainment arena -- ideally for an NBA team -- has had a variety of different funding packages, but remains theoretical.
The project, which would sit on 27 acres between the Sahara Las Vegas and Fontainebleau Las Vegas has been in the works since 2013. And while a groundbreaking happened in 2014, no significant work has taken place.
That's not the only major Las Vegas Strip project that has stalled. It's a common occurrence and the announcement of a deal doesn't mean construction will be completed.
That may not be likely for the Oakland A's baseball stadium that's planned for the site where the Bally's (BALY) Tropicana sits now. But that deal does face new opposition.
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Where the A's Las Vegas Strip Stadium Deal Stands
Gaming and Leisure Properties (GLPI), which owns the site the Tropicana sits on, has worked with Bally's to give the 9 acres the A's need to build a stadium to the team. That leaves more than 20 acres for Bally's to build a new resort casino that would benefit from the team playing 81 home games there.
The A's stadium has also received approval from Nevada to get $380 million in public funds toward the construction of the $1.5 billion domed, 30,000-seat stadium. That deal was approved by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Joe Lombardo, but now it faces new opposition.
The Nevada State Education Association filed paperwork on June 28 to create a political action committee opposing public funding for the proposed A’s stadium.
Called "Schools Over Stadiums," the PAC's organizers have a stated goal "to prioritize public education over corporate tax giveaways,” according to a registration form filed with the state.
In a June 29 news release, the PAC said it’s “committed to pursuing every possible path to stop the use of public funds to subsidize a billionaire’s stadium,” the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. "This includes litigation as well as giving Nevadans the opportunity to vote to stop this misguided project.”
Opposition to A's Stadium Brings Attention to Education
It's hard to argue that professional sports teams have not been a revenue driver for the city of Las Vegas. Las Vegas Golden Knights and Las Vegas Raiders games have regularly increased tourism to the Las Vegas Strip.
The NHL team, which won the Stanley Cup this year, has been particularly good for MGM Resorts International (MGM) and Caesars Entertainment (CZR) as its arena is located next to many of each company's properties. Raiders games, as well as concerts at the stadium built for the team, have driven massive tourism across the whole Strip.
That's likely to be the case with an A's stadium, but the PAC is using the public funding for the project as a way to get attention for school funding.
“Nevada’s priorities are misguided; this effort is in response to a giveaway of hundreds of millions in tax dollars to a billionaire for a stadium, while Nevada schools rank 48th in per-pupil funding with the largest class sizes in the nation,” PAC President Dawn Etcheverry wrote in a statement shared with the paper.
“We’re committed to pursuing every possible path to stop the use of public funds to subsidize a billionaire’s stadium.”
The PAC has also opposed taxpayer funds being used to help Tesla (TSLA) expand its manufacturing operations in Nevada.
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