Las Vegas' Tropicana casino razed to make way for Athletics' stadium

LAS VEGAS -- Sin City blew a kiss goodbye to the Tropicana before first light Wednesday in an elaborate implosion to clear land for a $1.5 billion baseball stadium for the relocating Oakland Athletics.

The demolition reduced to rubble the last true mob building on the Las Vegas Strip as the city continued its latest rebrand into a sports hub.

The Tropicana's hotel towers tumbled in a celebration that included a fireworks display and drone show. It was the first implosion of a Strip casino since 2016, when the final tower of the Riviera was leveled for a convention center expansion.

The Athletics, who played their final game in Oakland on Sept. 26 after 56 seasons, plan to play the next three years in Sacramento with hopes of opening a new ballpark in Las Vegas ahead of the 2028 season.

Three key documents -- the lease, non-relocation and development agreements -- still need to be approved Dec. 5 in order to begin construction on a new $1.5 billion, 33,000-seat domed stadium for the Athletics.

That agreement provides an initial 30-year lease that ultimately can be extended up to 99 years.

The A's have said they expected to spend $350 million in public money rather than the full $380 million allocated by the Nevada Legislature. The team has said it plans to finance $300 million of the stadium cost and the other $850 million would come from private equity.

As for the Las Vegas Strip, there now is one only one hotel remaining -- the Flamingo -- from the city's mob era. However, the Flamingo's original structures are long gone as part of a complete rebuild in the 1990s.

The Tropicana was the third-oldest casino on the Strip, opening in 1957. It closed in April after welcoming guests for 67 years. Once known as the "Tiffany of the Strip" for its opulence, it was a frequent haunt of the legendary Rat Pack, while its past under the mob has long cemented its place in Las Vegas lore.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.