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Oakland A’s ballpark plans could be delayed by pandemic

By David Hill

OAKLAND, CA - MAY 07: General view of a faulty light tower in left field before the game between the Oakland Athletics and the Cincinnati Reds at the Oakland Coliseum on May 7, 2019 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Cincinnati Reds 2-0. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - MAY 07: General view of a faulty light tower in left field before the game between the Oakland Athletics and the Cincinnati Reds at the Oakland Coliseum on May 7, 2019 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Cincinnati Reds 2-0. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images) /
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The Oakland A’s had made progress towards getting a new ballpark. The COVID-19 pandemic could push that progress aside.

There is no question that the Oakland A’s need a new stadium. The Colesium certainly has a historic attachment, having been the scene of some great moments in A’s history, but it is also crumbling around itself. The myriad of issues within the stadium have been well covered, discussed to a point where one almost expects to see the Colesium in ruins.

And that is something that the A’s have been aware of. Their slogan from 2019, Rooted in Oakland, was more than just a jab at the departing Raiders – it was a promise. A promise that the A’s were not going anywhere, remaining in the place that they have called home for more than 50 years.

For their part, the A’s continued to work towards that goal. They have plans for a new ballpark at Howard Terminal, an ambitious project that would include such features as the baseball version of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. And yet, the A’s had steadily moved forward with those plans, getting through the difficult moments and appearing to be on track to move ahead.

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Now, those plans may face a new obstacle. The COVID-19 pandemic has ground everything to a halt, potentially impacting not just the timeline, but the viability, of such an undertaking. While it is far too early to know if there will be any impact upon the Howard Terminal plans, there are also a host of possible pitfalls that could await.

And what happens if the improbable happens? Should the pandemic continue on into the unforeseen future, will those stadium plans come to pass? Will the funding still be available if the season is canceled? What are the backup plans, just in case?

Obviously, nothing is set in stone. Any plans, either towards building the new ballpark, or to create a fallback option, may be premature. But if the weeks and months of quarantine and lockdown continue to stretch on, it may be worth putting other plans into motion.

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As it currently stands, the Oakland A’s plans to build a new ballpark are still moving forward. But that could all be subject to change if the pandemic continues.