Raiders Las Vegas Stadium Don Webb Talks July Opening But April 1 Is Oakland Coliseum Deadline
ONN – Raiders Las Vegas Stadium Don Webb Talks July Opening But April 1 Is Oakland Coliseum Deadline
Don Webb, who manages the Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas Stadium Construction Project for the Oakland Raiders (what happened to Larry McNeil?), is now certain that the job will be done by July 31, 2020.
That’s a far cry from the original note of “substantial completion” by July 31, 2020. Don Webb even went so far as to make fun of the long-discussed 60-day push back of the schedule.
(Someone should tell Don the original date of stadium completion was first supposed to be May of 2020, then June of 2020, and then July of 2020, and now July 31, 2020, which is basically August. The first seat installation was to start May of 2019, and the EFTE roof installation was to have started August 23rd of 2019. I think we can all agree the stadium’s way off that mark. And the fact remains that the current schedule timeline points to October and not July 31, 2020 for a full, NFL-ready, stadium. Good things come to those who wait.)
He went on television, specifically KTNV Las Vegas, to say that and note that the usual mouthpiece the Las Vegas Review Journal did not broadcast that bold bit of news. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum Joint Powers Authority has an April 1, 2020 deadline – and they’re not going to extend it.
That is the day the Oakland Raiders have to let the Coliseum Joint Powers Authority (JPA) know if they are staying one more year or leaving for Las Vegas. Unlike past go-rounds, the Coliseum JPA is not ran by McKibben, and fans like now former board member Chris Dobbins are sadly gone, so there’s less chance of the Silver and Black being able to gain an extension of time to decide.
They’re either in Oakland or out of Oakland.
If the Raiders do elect to stay, they owe the Oakland Coliseum a record (for that facility) rent of $10.5 million. As it is, the architect of that agreement, Scott McKibben, the now-former Coliseum Executive Director and now President Of The Oakland Panthers, would be in the interesting position of being the one who kept pro football in Oakland. His Indoor Football League team is slated to start play in the Oakland Arena in March.
I recall Scott McKibben telling me that the deal he struck with the Raiders is only a fraction of the new world of costs they’re going to have to bear in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas Stadium.
The Oakland Raiders have to make sure they’re not overly optimistic. One snow storm or over-long rain episode can smash that already tight deadline. Still, Las Vegas needs this large scale special events center. Right now, it’s in a transition that threatens to put it where Reno was 11 years ago.
Stay tuned.
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