EDITORIAL: The Show poised to arrive in Las Vegas

The Oakland A’s appear poised to add another chapter to their long and storied history with a move to Las Vegas. It’s further indication that Southern Nevada continues to be a magnet for sports and entertainment unlike any other place in the world.

On Wednesday, officials with the Major League Baseball franchise revealed that they have signed an agreement to purchase land near Tropicana Avenue just west of Interstate 15. The goal is to build a 30,000-seat stadium with a retractable dome in addition to a commercial district featuring bars and restaurants, retail and residential.

This development would have been unthinkable only a decade ago. The erosion of the stigma against sports betting has helped immensely, of course, yet it was the smashing success of the Vegas Golden Knights that highlighted how Southern Nevada was more than ready to serve as home to a franchise in a major professional sports league. The Raiders and NFL soon followed with the construction of Allegiant Stadium.

The interest from Major League Baseball and other professional sports leagues, with the development of numerous cultural amenities such as The Smith Center and the thriving downtown arts scene, represents a natural step in this region’s efforts to evolve and diversify. Gaming will always be vital to Southern Nevada’s prosperity, but a wide range of attractions for both locals and tourists alike will help charge the local economy and make the area more attractive to live and visit.

There remain many additional steps before the A’s move becomes official. It’s possible that Oakland will make a last-ditch effort to keep the franchise — although that looks unlikely after the city’s mayor last week said she was cutting off talks with the club. Major-league owners must approve the relocation — which would be only the second move in the past 50 years for MLB — but Commissioner Rob Manfred has made clear his support.

We’ll await the details involving the finances behind the $1.5 billion project. Reports indicate that the team would be responsible for building the stadium and subsequent improvements. That’s welcome news. Meanwhile, state lawmakers could create a special entertainment district for the stadium and surrounding development that would ensure that sales taxes generated there are reinvested in the area. There is also talk of providing the team with transferable tax credits. This would allow the stadium to move forward without higher taxes.

Gov. Joe Lombardo, the Legislature and the Clark County Commission will all be involved in formulating and approving any agreement with the team. It’s important for public confidence that the process be conducted as transparently as possible, with maximum input from all parties, including the taxpayers. Open debate in Carson City and elsewhere on the final proposal is a critical indicator of a healthy democracy at work.

The A’s date to 1901, one of the original franchises in the new eight-team American League. The club’s first home was Columbia Park in Philadelphia with a capacity of 9,500. The ballfield was built for about $1.2 million in today’s dollars and included only one dressing room and makeshift seating on the roofs of adjacent homes. Beer sales were outlawed. At the time, Las Vegas was a virtually uninhabited desert outpost smaller than Searchlight. The arc of time, like a curveball, moves in fascinating ways.