Oakland A’s getting closer to their waterfront ballpark
Last week, news had gotten out that Oakland A’s ownership had postponed their plans for a third trip to Las Vegas. A return date had not been set up, giving hope that the A’s and the City of Oakland may have finally started to resolve their differences regarding the Howard Terminal project. The A’s may end up Rooted in Oakland after all.
That is beginning to look a lot more likely. On Tuesday night, the city quietly updated their website with news about the negotiations.
Oakland A’s, City of Oakland making tremendous progress
The majority of the financial sticking points appear to be settled. The A’s will finance the construction of the ballpark and upfront infrastructure costs for the project. Construction will need to begin by 2028 at the latest, even if there is any pending litigation or other issues.
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This new ballpark will also keep the A’s in town for the foreseeable future. The agreement includes a non-relocation clause for 25 years, ending any talk about Las Vegas for decades. Likewise, if the A’s depart after that time, the team will need to cover any outstanding public debt associated with the ballpark and the revitalization of the area.
However, this agreement does not mean that an announcement is imminent. The official Development Agreement still needs to be negotiated. A final environmental impact report will need to be created. The Port Board will need to consider a lease agreement with the A’s, and the Alameda County Board of Supervisors has to consider whether or not to opt in to the Infrastructure Financing District.
There are still a lot of hurdles to overcome. However, the fact that the A’s and the City of Oakland have essentially agreed to almost every part of the non binding term sheet is a major step in the right direction. There is a light a the end of the tunnel when it comes to the A’s long running battle for a new ballpark.
Next. Rosenthal should be option for 2022. dark
The Oakland A’s are getting much closer to their new ballpark. While there are still plenty of hurdles left, the struggle may finally be over.