Circa’s Derek Stevens: A’s ‘will have a tremendous impact’

Circa co-owner Derek Stevens is revealed on the blue carpet at the Baller Dream Celebrity Poker Tournament at Circa's Legacy Club on April 30, 2023. (John Katsilometes/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @JohnnyKats.
To develop Circa hotel-casino, Derek Stevens tore down a ballpark.

We mention Las Vegas Club, the outside of which was designed as a baseball stadium. A huge ballplayer even loomed over Main and Fremont.

In reality, Stevens has long developed the idea of baseball in Las Vegas. The co-owner of Circa, the D Las Vegas and Golden Gate owned the Las Vegas 51s from 2008-13.

Stevens has actually also been an aggressive supporter of providing sports as home entertainment, with games playing to revelers at Stadium Swim, and the stunning LED-screen layout at Circa Sportsbook.

The resort visionary's message has sparked Vegas' reconditioned image as the Entertainment and Sports Capital of the World.

" I've been of the same frame of mind going back to when I owned the Triple-A team," Stevens said Sunday just before the Baller Dream Celebrity Poker Tournament. "I've always believed baseball could make it in Vegas. I think baseball will have an incredible impact."

Stevens said the group's 81 home dates will take up dates when "it's a bit of a slower time in Vegas."

" I believe Major League Baseball will make it, and I'm very passionate about the A's coming to Las Vegas," Stevens stated.

The resort operator went to a Feb. 1 meeting among north Strip and downtown authorities evaluating the A's plans for an arena website. Those initial principles consisted of the Las Vegas Festival Grounds residential or commercial property on the southwest corner of Sahara Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard.

The A's have actually since entered into an agreement with Station Casinos to acquire 49 acres at Tropicana and Dean Martin, the previous Wild West website.

" It's an excellent start. You've got ta get the land in place, first," Stevens said. "There's a couple of other things that need to be exercised, however if it doesn't exercise in that space, it's gon na exercise elsewhere."

Expect Stevens to partner with the Athletics upon their moving.

" We absolutely will. We like what we've done with other sports teams here, it's had a big impact on our organization," said Stevens, who has held Golden Knights and Raiders see celebrations at his Downtown Las Vegas Event Center. "We're obviously a bit more sports-oriented than other gambling establishments. That's why we're very enthusiastic about Major League Baseball coming here."

John Katsilometes' column runs daily in the An area. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.