Future 51s ballpark approved by county

The plans for the future Las Vegas 51s ballpark have been approved by the Clark County commissioners. This approval opens the road to Summerlin, where the Howard Hughes Corporation wants to build a 10,000 seat ballpark.

“This is a big green light in the project,” company spokesman and vice president Tom Warden said after the meeting. “We could be moving dirt as early as late December or early January.”

A waiver was also awarded so the Howard Hughes Corp. can begin grading the site before the approval of off-site improvement plans and the recording of a final map. The company must have $5 million insurance in exchange.

The number of parking spaces will be reduced to 2,050, more than half than what is required. But the surrounding office buildings will get a 930 space parking lot.

The Howard Hughes Corporation hopes to be ready with the construction of the new Summerlin Ballpark by the start of the 2019 spring training. “Its an aggressive schedule, but if all goes well it will be ‘play ball’ in 2019,” spokesman and Vice President of the Howard Hughes Corporation Tom Warden said.

Resently, the current parent club, the New York Mets, announced they bought the Syracuse Chiefs and will land their AAA team there starting in 2019. So that means the 51s have to look for a new parent club.  One thing is sure, the new parent club will have a great welcome with a brand new ballpark.

Don’t be surprised if the 51s will have some Cashman Field farewell festivities during the season.

The construction will cost an estimated $150 million. $80 million of that amount will be financed by the sale of the naming rights. The new ballpark will be situated next to the City National Arena, the traning facility of the new NHL franchise, the Las Vegas Golden Knights.