The final demolition of the Tropicana Las Vegas will take place on October 9 at 2:30am PT. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

End of an era

The demolition of the iconic Tropicana Las Vegas will take place on October 9 at 2:30am PT. The Strip property is making way for the development of a new 30,000-seater ballpark for the Oakland Athletics.

The property’s owner, Bally’s Corporation, issued a joint statement with the Oakland Athletics on Monday announcing the time and date for the implosion.

public won’t be able to view the $15m destruction in person

While the public won’t be able to view the $15m destruction in person due to safety concerns, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Bally’s, and local television networks are showing it. Part of the spectacle before the big moment will be a fireworks display and a show involving 555 drones.

GGG Demolition and Controlled Demolition Inc. are leading the implosion, with the latter having brought down more than 30 buildings in Clark County over the past two decades. All structures will collapse about 22 seconds after pressing the button.

The end of an era

The Tropicana was a game changer for the Las Vegas Strip when it opened in 1957 – the biggest casino in the city at the time of opening and linked to the mob, celebrities, and big spenders.

Bally’s bought the Tropicana in 2022 for $308m. It was in May 2023 that Bally’s agreed to demolish the property to make room for the baseball stadium on nine acres of the site. The resort was outdated and no longer fit for purpose without a major investment.

The casino company isn’t going anywhere though, as it will develop a resort on 26 acres of land beside the new ballpark named Bally’s Las Vegas.

Commenting on the end of an era for the Tropicana, Bally’s Corporation Chairman Soo Kim described the property as “one of the original pioneers of the Strip, setting the stage for the vibrant entertainment destination we know and love today.” He believes it is fitting that it will be the site for bringing the Strip into the future as the MLB comes to the city for the first time.

This will be the first implosion on the Las Vegas Strip since the Riviera in August 2016.

A bright future

The property closed its doors for the last time in April, and patrons had the opportunity to get a slice of the Tropicana for themselves through the clearance sale, while some people stole anything that wasn’t nailed down before it shut for good.

Oakland Athletics got approval from the MLB to make the move in November

The Oakland Athletics got approval from the MLB to make the move in November, despite a huge level of scorn from locals in the Oakland area, where the team has played since 1968. The team’s owner, John Fisher, refused to invest money into improving its stadium, which led to a lot of criticism from fans.

The new stadium will cost about $1.5bn to build, with $380m of this total coming from a public financing package. The plan is to break ground in April 2025 with the aim of opening in January 2028.