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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
The Oakland Athletics have publicized a ballpark poll Wednesday they say shows a majority of Clark County voters support their proposed stadium plan and location, except residents were polled from April 29 – May 5 when there was a different venue location and the public funding deal was different.
The MLB team hired the Mellman Group to conduct the survey. Mellman polled 700 Clark County registered voters between April 29 and May 5 when local residents believed the location was a 49-acre site at Tropicana Avenue and Dean Martin Drive just west of Interstate 15.
The proposed ballpark site is now on the Strip, planned for nine acres of the Tropicana hotel-casino’s 35-acre location.
The Athletics ballpark poll also does not specify whether voters support government funding assistance for the Athletics’ proposed ballpark.
The poll says a majority of the respondents support the baseball park plan, with the Athletics press release quoting comments from team president Dave Kaval and two Las Vegas area chamber of commerce presidents.
The A’s are requesting $395 million in public funding help toward the construction of a 30,000-seat, $1.5 billion retractable-roof ballpark. State legislation for the stadium government subsidy is still being negotiated in Carson City.
A ballpark public funding opponent asked how relevant is the Athletics poll if key elements of the Las Vegas baseball stadium proposal are now different.
“The A’s ballpark plan, if you can call it that, changed four days after this poll was conducted. It didn’t even ask respondents about public financing. What is the point of that poll then? It is meaningless,” said Matt Ortega, a web designer and longtime Oakland Athletics fan who lives in San Leandro south of Oakland. He created a website opposing ballpark public funding called nonevadamoney.com.
Here’s a photo showing the proposed A’s ballpark site when the Athletics’ poll was conducted. It’s 49 acres at Tropicana Avenue and Dean Martin Drive.
Here’s a picture of the current location of the proposed ballpark on the Strip on the southeast side of the Tropicana hotel-casino site at Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue.
LVSportsBiz.com asked the Athletics for comment about the poll. If we receive a response, we will include it in this story.