LAS VEGAS (AP) - The Latest on the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Raiders stadium in Las Vegas (all times local):
8:20 p.m.
The Oakland Raiders on Monday broke ground on a 65,000-seat domed stadium in a ceremony that balanced the glitz that Las Vegas embodies and the tragedy from which it is still recovering.
Prince protegee Judith Hill opened the ceremony with a rendition of Andra Day’s song “Rise Up” as police, firefighters, EMTs and other members of the local community walked through a temporary venue.
During the ceremony, fifty-eight beams of light shone behind the stage, each representing one of the victims of the Oct. 1 attack, which was the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
Longtime Las Vegas entertainer Wayne Newton, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Hall of Famer Howie Long were among the crowd that witnessed officials and team leaders turn dirt with shiny shovels emblazoned with the Raiders logo.
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1 p.m.
After years of planning, dealing and getting millions in public financing approved, the Oakland Raiders will break ground Monday on their new 65,000-seat, domed stadium in Las Vegas.
Contractors will be working under an ambitious timeline as the team wants to kick off the 2020 season at the new stadium.
But the Raiders are yet to reach crucial agreements for the $1.9 billion project and now could lose millions under the tax reform bill proposed by House Republicans.
The stadium’s financing plan includes $750 million in publicly issued tax-exempt bonds. The Raiders and the NFL are expected to contribute $500 million, while the team has also secured a $600 million bank loan.
The Raiders’ plan to relocate to Las Vegas began when NFL owners shot down their plans to move to Los Angeles.
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