The Oakland A’s have seemingly come a step closer to staying in town. The Environmental Impact Report for the Howard Terminal Project was passed by a 6-2 vote, making the project another step closer to reality. This is the closest that the A’s have come to seeing their plans for a new ballpark come to fruition.
At this point, it is clear that the A’s are putting their future in Oakland into the future of this project. Dave Kaval began a tweet with “Howard Terminal or bust,” clearly stating the team’s intentions. The vote may have passed, but there is still plenty of time between now and a binding resolution that will make the ballpark a reality.
Oakland A’s not counting on Howard Terminal just yet
That does not mean that the A’s are putting all of their eggs in the Howard Terminal basket just yet. The franchise has made offers to purchase four different sites in Las Vegas with an eye towards constructing a new ballpark there should everything fall through.
Kaval also said in that interview that Las Vegas is not just being used as a bargaining chip. The A’s have every intention of pursuing the city as a new home if everything falls through in Oakland. As it stands, the team is in negotiations with the owners of those properties to secure a location.
The A’s are not saying where those locations are just yet. They do plan on making an announcement once a final site is purchased, but have teased what they are looking at. Kaval stated that those locations are “n exciting locations that I think would be good both for tourists as well as people who live in the valley.”
At some point, the A’s will need to make a decision as to where they are going to be. It may come down to the City of Oakland and whether or not they give the final go-ahead for the project to begin. If anything stops that ballpark from happening, the A’s have backup plans in the works.
The Oakland A’s have submitted offers for four different sites in Las Vegas. The Howard Terminal Project may be close, but it is not a given.