Oakland A’s: Howard Terminal project faces another problem

The list of potential issues for the Oakland A’s Howard Terminal location is seemingly growing by the day, with The Sierra Club adding on.

It is no secret that the Oakland A’s want a new ballpark. The Colesium is antiquated, falling apart, and has a myriad of other issues. A new ballpark, meanwhile, would theoretically provide a revenue boost, and potentially allow the A’s to begin to lock in some of their younger cornerstone players.

In theory, that new ballpark was to be at Howard Terminal. The A’s would get a waterfront stadium that would re-invigorate the area, while making positive changes to the location. An old industrial area would be cleaned up, and the A’s new ballpark would be designed to be neutral with greenhouse gasses.

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Yet, the A’s have run into a new roadblock. The Sierra Club not only sent a letter to the Oakland City Council to discourage those efforts, but doubled down on their assertations when team president Dave Kaval called their letter “factually inaccurate.”

The A’s have already navigated through numerous roadblocks, both political and environmental, over the past couple of years. However, they have had setbacks recently, including the ruling that the city cannot stop coal shipments from coming into the terminal. This letter is just the latest.

As it was, the original timeline to have a new stadium for 2023 had been in jeopardy. Due to the shutdown from the COVID-19 pandemic, there were expected delays as it pertained to the ballpark being opened in time. The concerns brought up by The Sierra Club, which included rising sea levels, transit issues, and toxic waste, are just another bump in the road.

Meanwhile, this could push the A’s into a tough decision. They have agreed to purchase Alameda County’s half of the Colesium, which could allow the team to look to build a new stadium at that location. It would be more cost effective, with the infrastructure already in place, instead of looking to develop a new location.

The Oakland A’s quest for a new stadium has hit another roadblock. This time, The Sierra Club is looking to stop a new stadium at Howard Terminal due to environmental concerns.