July 25, 2007

A's new stadium plan: We'll get back to you

Oakland A's owner Lew Wolff presented the latest details of his stadium development plan to the Fremont city council last night, and, well:

"We hear you loud and clear," Wolff said. "It's not done yet."

Fremont officials, apparently, focused less on what Wolff showed (a $1.8 billion project with an A's stadium, condos, an upscale shopping mall, blah blah blah) than on what he didn't: According to the San Jose Mercury News, city community development director Jill Keimach presented a long list of issues still to be resolved, including "location of an elementary school, plans for incorporating affordable housing, transportation and parking, and incorporation of 'green building principles.' Keimach described the state of the A's proposal as 'more what we don't know than what we do know.'"

What we also don't know, though the Merc News (and presumably Keimach) didn't mention it, is what kind of taxpayer "assistance" Wolff will ask for as part of his proposal. Wolff says he expects to file a development application this fall; maybe by then he'll be ready to reveal his public price, as well.

One other tidbit from the Merc News story: Wolff has apparently signed deed restrictions on the proposed development site that prohibit such uses as Goodwill stores, laundromats, card clubs, veterinary hospitals, funeral homes, porn shops, gas stations, massage and tattoo parlors, churches and beauty schools. Most of that seems to be code for "folks not rich enough to own their own washing machines," but "churches" is a puzzler - unless they're taking their John Wesley too literally.