The Tropicana Las Vegas, the famous resort known for its midcentury luxury décor and home to Las Vegas' longest-running cabaret, will close on Tuesday in preparation for demolition to make way for a new Major League Baseball stadium.
The resort's gaming floor will close at 3 a.m. Tuesday and the last hotel guest must check out by noon, according to the resort's website, which is owned by gambling, gaming and entertainment company Bally's Corporation.
After demolition, about nine acres of the 35-acre property will be given to the Athletics baseball team for construction of a 30,000-seat stadium, the resort said. The stadium will be home to the team, which will relocate from Oakland, Calif. to Las Vegas starting in 2028.
Last year, there was talk of redeveloping the Tropicana to create space for an integrated resort, casino and ballpark complex. The exact design is still being finalized, the resort said.
The Tropicana has been a storied hotel on the Las Vegas Strip since opening in 1957 as the city's most luxurious hotel and casino, featuring a 60-foot fountain and a shimmering pool that reflects the muzak in the water.
There, longtime magicians Siegfried and Roy made their debut. Sean Connery's James Bond stayed here. Feathered showgirls danced in the Folies Bergere cabaret. A photo taken in 1980 shows dancers playfully transporting comedian Joan Rivers to an awards ceremony at a hotel.
But years after the resort's heyday, the casino became a relic as the city evolved by offering the kind of entertainment found in other metropolitan markets: major professional sports teams.
Over the years, teams and major events from the NFL, NHL, WNBA, and NCAA men's basketball tournaments have all relocated to the city.
Last summer, Nevada's governor signed a bill agreeing to finance up to $380 million of the estimated $1.5 billion ballpark construction cost to attract athletics to the Las Vegas Strip site. did.
Major League Baseball approved the Athletics' move to Las Vegas in November, and the league says it plans to open a new stadium on the Tropicana property.
The team plans to play the 2024 season at the Oakland Coliseum in California and is working with the league to explore options for an interim postseason playing location.
“We are excited to begin our next chapter in Las Vegas,” Athletics managing partner and owner John Fisher said in a statement.
The new ballpark will feature a five-tiered roof inspired by traditional baseball pennants and city skyline views, the league said. Plans for the outfield include a large cable-net glass window facing the corner of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard and an 18,000-square-foot jumbotron.
Culinary Workers Union Local 226, which represents about 350 Tropicana employees, said it will help employees find new jobs, apply for unemployment and upskill.
“The goal is to make sure that Tropicana workers are taken care of,” Ted Papageorge, the union's secretary and treasurer, said in an interview.
He said union employees will receive $2,000 in severance and six months of health insurance coverage for each year of employment. He added that he hopes Tropicana employees will be offered jobs there once the stadium complex is completed.
On the resort's Instagram account, longtime visitors expressed bittersweet feelings about the resort's closure, reminiscing about the “mid-century red decor,” their memories of the casino, the magic shows they enjoyed, and the staff they met.
