The Oakland A’s presented the city of Oakland this week with a suggested "new framework" for the future of the Oakland Coliseum and Arena and the surrounding land, A's team president Dave Kaval told KQED.
The proposal offers to purchase the city’s half of the site outright, or enter into a joint venture where the city would retain ownership — but the A’s would have a long-term lease.
"It's really their [Oakland's] decision which way they want to go," Kaval said.
Kaval is scheduled to meet with owners of the other 29 teams and Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred on Nov. 17.
He hopes to have good news for them about an agreement in principle, or at least progress in that direction with Oakland.
Manfred had been critical of the city’s move earlier this month to file a lawsuit that has put a temporary hold on the A’s negotiations with Alameda County to buy the other half of the Coliseum site.
Oakland city officials expressed concerns when that lawsuit was filed that it could be illegal for the county to sell public land without a more extensive process — and that if the A’s owned a share in the Coliseum property it could interfere with the city’s ability to negotiate a strong community benefits agreement with the team.
Kaval said this new offer to Oakland includes a revised list of community benefits for the Coliseum site.
“[It includes] things like affordable housing, local hiring, workforce development and anti-displacement measures that will ensure that the project is beneficial for the local community," he said.
The A’s offer to buy the Coliseum site does not mean the team is backing off its choice of another location — Howard Terminal, near Jack London Square — for the ballpark they hope would ultimately replace the current Coliseum.
Kaval said the team is continuing talks with the Port of Oakland, which owns that waterfront land, as well as refining their stadium design.
“Hundreds and hundreds of work hours are going every week to make that happen," he said. "And the current timeline is that by the end of the year, we'll have the draft environmental impact report. That will include everything from transportation, greenhouse gas impacts, site planning, shade studies, and just everything about the development and ballpark."
If all goes well, Kaval thinks the team’s previously stated goal of Opening Day 2023 at Howard Terminal is still doable.
Although the two sites are separate projects, Kaval said the A’s desire to keep a presence where the Coliseum now stands is genuine.
"We don't want to abandon East Oakland. We want to be part of really setting forth a positive future for that part of the city," Kaval said.
"We are one of the longest-standing businesses in East Oakland. We've been there 51 years. Our mission is more than just being a developer. We're a professional baseball club that obviously is a community asset to the East Bay in Oakland. So we want to do everything we can to ensure that that we're a good community partner, and we've been willing to dedicate millions and millions of dollars in private capital to do that.”
The East Bay Times reports that Oakland’s City Council will discuss the A’s new offer in a closed session next week, although they’re unlikely to vote on it until a later date.
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