“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.