Clark County has approved a commercial demolition permit for Bally’s Corp., the owner of the Tropicana hotel, valuing the implosion at $15 million. The permit application was filed on April 11 and approved on April 20, granting Bally’s until October 20 to carry out the demolition. The permit is ready to be issued once Bally’s pays over $48,000 in associated fees. The demolition of the Rat Pack-era hotel will make way for future development, including the Oakland Athletics’ planned $1.5 billion, 33,000-seat ballpark. Bally’s Chairman Soo Kim told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the company is planning for a September or October implosion of the property, but this is dependent on the demolition company, GGG Demolition Inc., obtaining the proper permits. Kim noted that the $15 million demolition fee will be covered by the $175 million pledged by Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. (GLPI), which owns the land where the Tropicana sits. Bally’s owns the hotel and pays GLPI a ground lease. The Tropicana closed its doors on April 2 to prepare for demolition, with the A’s stadium scheduled to be constructed on 9 acres of the 35-acre site. Bally’s plans to construct a new resort on the remaining acreage at a later date. The A’s are working on various agreements, including a development agreement, non-relocation agreement, and lease agreement, which are required to be approved by the Las Vegas Stadium Authority before public funding can be made available and construction can commence. A community benefits agreement has already been approved by the stadium authority. With their lease at the Oakland Coliseum expiring at the end of the year and an extension unable to be agreed to with Bay Area officials, the A’s will play in Sacramento during the 2025-2027 MLB seasons, with plans to kick off their time in Las Vegas at their new Strip ballpark in 2028.
Tropicana Implosion Permit Approved, Demolition Set for September or October
