More than 15 years ago, I sat in Las Vegas Aviators owner Don Logan’s office and listened to him excitedly lay out his plans for the then-Las Vegas 51s’ expected move to Henderson. Not even weeks later, I saw the positive tone in Logan’s voice go from optimistic to downtrodden as the Montreal Expos-to-Vegas rumors effectively put negotiations on hold, where they would die a slow death. Now, nearly two decades later, Logan will survey the inaugural Opening Night at the new Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin as the Las Vegas Aviators open 2019 in their new home.
One of the most state-of-the art minor league facilities, Logan’s dream has now become a reality. While it wasn’t Henderson, Logan never gave up his driven goal which is why tonight’s sold-out opener feels a little more satisfying for the longtime owner.
“You get one chance to have an inaugural year,” Logan told VEGAS Magazine. “We’ve got to make sure we do it right and, pardon the pun, knock it out of the ballpark. The idea of the logo was to make it fun and incorporate the mountains of Red Rock. The color scheme is really cool. The 51s [name] never resonated with people. The Howard Hughes Corporation owns the team. Howard Hughes was an aviator. Even beyond that, we’ve got Nellis Air Force Base here. Aviation is a big part of Southern Nevada.”
The new ballpark is something to behold. Tickets for Opening Night sold out within seven minutes and the secondary sales market has seen ticket prices for the opener reach as high as nearly $400 for tickets that normally range up to $50.
Needless to say, it’s a hot ticket, and why wouldn’t it be? Vegas does Vegas better than anyone, and — to be honest — most residents are happy to spend extra to be apart of something new, fresh and innovative when it opens.
The team has started to announce its seasonal promotions, which include $2 Beer Nights and a return to Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversión, the centerpiece of MiLB’s “Es Divertido Ser Un Fan” (“It’s Fun to be A Fan”) Hispanic fan engagement initiative. The Aviators will once again transform into the Las Vegas Reyes de Plata, or Silver Kings.
The ballpark and surrounding area
The Las Vegas Ballpark is located in Downtown Summerlin, just south of (more like up against) City National Arena, the practice facility of the Vegas Golden Knights. It will provide a wide range of seating options, including 22 suites, club seats, berm seating, party zones and decks, picnic tables, kids’ zone, bars and even a pool beyond the outfield wall.
The ridiculous scoreboard will also turn quite a few heads. One of the largest in North America at 3,930 square feet, it features a 13HD pixel layout and measures approximately 31 feet high by 126 feet wide, meaning somebody will inevitably play a few games of Mario Kart once things settle down.
Needless to say, the new stadium and season are set to add a great deal more to the summer nights in Summerlin. Heck, the culinary delights will blow the average baseball fan’s mind. With gourmet hot dogs and other great menu items created by the best local chefs in Las Vegas, the games will just as much about experience as it will be baseball.
Parking was a question mark early on but the team from Howard Hughes Corp., as well as Summerlin and Metro, has completed a parking plan for the area.
“We have worked diligently with all teams to develop a comprehensive traffic plan that will include Metro monitoring traffic control points within the area to ensure traffic flow, similar to other major venues in the valley,” said Kevin T. Orrock, President of Summerlin.
The plan was devised by a combination of personnel from Metro and Parking and Transportation Group-Las Vegas (PATG-LV), a third-party vendor working for Las Vegas Ballpark.
According to the Aviators’ release, there will be three designated lots immediately adjacent to the ballpark, located to the east, southeast and south, and have an estimated capacity of more than 2,500 vehicles. The Downtown Summerlin valet will be featured the official Rideshare location for the Las Vegas Ballpark and guests who use Rideshare services will be directed to the Dining Arroyo at Downtown Summerlin to be picked up after an event. Overflow surface lot parking will be located on the west side of Downtown Summerlin’s retail area.
Traffic control personnel will be in place to assist with crossing Pavilion Center Drive before, during and after Las Vegas Ballpark events while an RTC Transit Center is located directly in front of the Ballpark along Pavilion Center Drive.
The Aviators opened their season April 4 at El Paso, winning four of five, and return home tonight for Opening Night and a six-game home stand. The crowd should be buzzing and the food glorious!
Fore more information or for tickets, see the Aviators’ web site at www.milb.com/las-vegas.
