Davis on cross-promo with A’s: ‘Not with that management group’
More from our chat Thursday with Raiders owner Mark Davis on the Athletics’ likely move to Vegas:
Davis said he didn’t know enough about the specifics of the A’s-Red Rock Resorts agreement to comment on the partnership. But he did offer, “Let’s see what the community benefits plan is. That’s a big part of it.”
Davis pointed to some positive elements of the A’s potential move to his adopted home city. He said of Laborers Local 872 secretary-treasurer Tommy White’s construction crew, “Tommy will do a hell of a job building this stadium, and it creates jobs, and that’s a great thing.”
The Raiders owner related his issues with the Athletics’ current management group, headed up by owner John Fisher and team president Dave Kaval. Davis’s complaints centered on the teams’ shared tenure at the Oakland Coliseum, and the A’s signing a 10-year lease that prevented the Raiders from building or improving the Coliseum site. Davis turned instead to Las Vegas.
With Davis steering the outreach effort, the Raiders have become effective civic partners with the Golden Knights and Las Vegas Aces. The Raiders co-host a charity softball game with the Golden Knights at Las Vegas Ballpark. And Davis was so fond of the Aces, he bought the team.
Davis was asked if he could envision an environment where the Silver and Black would cross-promote with the green-and-gold Las Vegas Athletics.
“Not with that management group,” Davis said. “I just have, again, a lot of personal animosity toward the front office. But with a new management group? Absolutely.”
Fertittas’ HR
The proposed Athletics stadium’s site on 49 acres west of the Strip, at Dean Martin Drive and Tropicana Avenue, is owned by Station Casinos’ parent company, Red Rock Resorts. That parcel has long been the site of the Wild Wild West hotel-casino (sometimes referred to as “The Tri-Dub,” by locals).
This has been, shall we say, a value casino for years. They brought in a Denny’s to upgrade the culinary program.
Red Rock Resorts still controls 50 acres adjacent to the stadium parcel. Frank Fertitta III is company chairman and CEO. Lorenzo Fertitta is vice chairman. The brothers are Las Vegas natives.
I’m eyeballing those 50 acres near the stadium with as much anticipation as the ballpark itself. We could have a new Station Casino-managed entertainment district. That property could be replete — replete, I tell you! — with bars, restaurants and retail to complement the baseball experience. Gaming permitted, too.
This is another tantalizing opportunity for Red Rock Resorts, as the company develops Durango Station (with an announced plan to open in October). The company held patiently to that land for about 20 years before announcing this ambitious new locals’ resort.
It all seems another shrewd move by one of Vegas’ royal families. When the Athletics-Red Rock deal was announced, a longtime Vegas resort official said to me, “The Fertittas always win. It’s brilliant.”
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
