The Trop has dropped.

Like several Strip resorts before it, Tropicana Las Vegas was imploded in a grand finale to make way for something new. 

A drone show flashed both the Tropicana logo as well as the one the way: the Athletics baseball team. More than 2,000 pounds of explosives were placed throughout both towers for a controlled fall. Fireworks exploded as the Tropicana took its final bow in a 22 second implosion.

“This was definitely in the top ten. The fireworks, the drone show was pretty cool, and then out here in person, you could really feel those charges go off. I mean right in the center of your body,” said Steve Crupi, a former TV reporter in Las Vegas. 

He earned the nickname “The Implosion Guy” for his work covering implosions throughout the 1990s and 2000s; and now he wants to make a documentary on those experiences. 

Crupi told Nevada Week that it’s not guaranteed something new will be built right away when an implosion occurs. 

“I’ve seen properties imploded such as the New Frontier Hotel where the big plans that were announced never happened and if you go to the site of the New Frontier Hotel today, what is there? A dirt lot. So there’s no guarantee here.”

Nevada Week also talked to LVSportsBiz.Com sports reporter Alan Snel on why there is questioning on the future of this site, where the Athletics plan to use public funding to build a Major League Baseball stadium. 

“There is just so much skepticism, and I think it focuses on the public divulging of financing by the owner. And I put this into context of the Raiders stadium process, where the Raiders had a pie chart and that pie chart showed the funding sources of how you’re going to build the stadium, and we just haven’t had that pie chart yet. I think people are very interested about the breakdown of the owner, how much equity is John Fisher pouring into it?” Snel said. 

John Fisher is the Athletic’s owner. He spoke before the implosion, thanking the Nevada Legislature for approving up to $380 million in public funding for the new stadium. It’s estimated the stadium will cost $1.5 billion.

Other project leaders are optimistic Fisher and the Athletics will be able to fund the rest of the stadium, including Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Steve Hill. 

“We’ve had the opportunity to review the balance sheet and the backup to that balance sheet for the Fisher family. They clearly have, I mean multiples, of what it takes in order to make the stadium happen. They’re committing to do it. It’s going to happen,” Hill said. 

Soo Kim, Chairman of Bally’s Corporation also weighed in. “Forget about the resources, what matters is the will, and he is absolutely committed to bringing the A’s here.”  

Construction on the stadium is expected to start April 2025. The goal is to have it completed in time for the A’s 2028 season. Bally’s Corporation also plans to build a new resort next to the stadium.