Oakland A's agree to purchase land near Las vegas Strip

The Oakland Athletics have signed a binding agreement to purchase land near the Las Vegas Strip, where they intend to construct a major league ballpark, team president Dave Kaval told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Wednesday.

The agreement is for a 49-acre site owned by Red Rock Resorts, the parent company of Station Casinos.

Kaval told the Review-Journal a $1.5 billion, 35,000-seat, partially retractable roof stadium would be built on the site, adding that other developments, including restaurants and an amphitheater, are also being discussed.

«For a while we were on parallel paths [with Oakland] but we have turned our attention to Las Vegas to get a deal here for the A's and find a long-term home.» Kaval told the Review-Journal. «Oakland has been a great home for us for over 50 years, but we really need this 20-year saga completed and we feel there's a path here in Southern Nevada to do that.»

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred expressed his support for the purchase agreement and for the A's shifting their efforts toward a move to Las Vegas after being based in Oakland since 1968.

«We support the A's turning their focus on Las Vegas and look forward to them bringing finality to this process by the end of the year,» Manfred told the Review-Journal.

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao criticized the announcement and said the city is «ceasing negotiations and moving forward» to other options.

«I am deeply disappointed that the A's have chosen not to negotiate with the City of Oakland as a true partner, in a way that respects the long relationship between the fans, the City and the team,» Thao said in a statement, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. «Yet, it is clear to me that the A's have no intention of staying