As the ball keeps rolling toward the groundbreaking on the Athletics’ Las Vegas Strip ballpark project, Clark County commissioners approved a vital step in paying for a portion of the $1.75 billion stadium.

County commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved the creation of the Sports and Entertainment Improvement District, which will raise $120 million to repay bonds the county will take out to fulfill their commitment to the up to $380 million in public funding approved by the Legislature in 2023 for the ballpark.

“This has been a long time coming, a lot of work by a lot of people,” Clark County commissioner Jim Gibson said during Tuesday’s board meeting. “I think what we’ve found is that we have partners there that are willing to contribute and to make a difference.”

The district will include the 9 acres where the 33,000-fan capacity stadium will be built. The remaining 26 acres of the 35-acre Tropicana site where Bally’s Corp. plans to build a future integrated resort is not included in the tax district.

Aside from the $120 million pledged toward the construction of the project, Clark County will also contribute $25 million toward infrastructure upgrades around the stadium site. The state will contribute $180 million via transferable tax credits, which was included in Senate Bill 1 passed by lawmakers in 2023.

Once the county bonds are paid off, the improvement district would be discontinued and the taxes from the stadium would then flow to the county and state.

The A’s are geared to break ground on their stadium project sometime in June, according to Las Vegas Stadium Authority Chairman Steve Hill. The project is expected to take between 31 and 33 months to complete, with plans to begin the team’s Las Vegas tenure in 2028.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contact Mick Akers at [email protected] or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.