Raiders Stadium Groundbreaking

The Oakland Raiders broke ground on its 65,000-seat, domed stadium project in Las Vegas Nov. 13 with some glitz mixed with memories of the Route 91 Harvest tragedy.

AP Photo/John Locher – Raiders Stadium Groundbreaking
A groundbreaking ceremony for the Oakland Raiders stadium in Las Vegas Nov. 13 included 58 beams of light for the 58 victims of the Route 91 Harvest mass shooting last month.

 Members of the police, firefighters, EMTs and the community were honored with a standing ovation including 58 beams of light behind the stage for each victim of the Oct. 1 mass shooting.

 Las Vegas legend Wayne Newton, Carlos Santana, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and Hall of Famers Howie Long and Fred Biletnikoff were on hand for the ceremonial dirt-turning moment.

 The goal for opening the facility is the 2020 season but the Raiders are reportedly still working on agreements for the $1.9 billion project. Las Vegas is pitching in $750 million in publicly issued, tax-exempt bonds and the Raiders have acquired a $600 million loan from Bank of America. The Raiders and the NFL are also expected to supply $500 million.

However, the tax-exempt bonds aren’t a given with the recent GOP tax reform bill that bans local and state government from issuing tax-exempt bonds for stadium construction.

A joint-use agreement between University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the team to share the stadium is also under discussion.

The Raiders’ plan to move to Las Vegas was years in the making after NFL owners put the kibosh on the team’s plan to move to Los Angeles.