January 09, 2009
A's-to-Fremont growing more of a longshot
The Contra Costa Times reports that the Oakland A's talks with ProLogis, owner of their proposed stadium site in Fremont, are going nowhere, with Fremont Mayor Bob Wasserman saying the two sides are so far apart that there's no point in further talks at the moment. (The A's have a deal with Cisco Systems, which holds a lease on the land, but ProLogis last month declared its opposition to the plan, which would effectively block it.) That'd leave the site by the Warm Springs BART station, but Wasserman didn't sound too optimistic there, either:
Wasserman acknowledged that the Warm Springs option had the twin problems of a brand new environmental review and "an upset community, to say the least." Also, the team doesn't own any land there.
Asked to give the odds that the A's would still come to Fremont, Wasserman would only say, "Probably lower than they were."
Add in that the Warm Springs site is not in a redevelopment zone and so would not be eligible for tax-increment financing (kicking back new tax revenues to help pay for construction costs), according to what Jennifer Lin of the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy tells FoS, and I think we can classify the A's stadium plans as "back to the drawing board."
—Neil deMause
a's should move to sacramento ... expand railey field a bit and swap locations with their aaa affiliate. they have very little fan support in the bay area as it is. couldn't do worse in sactown.
Posted by jock on January 12, 2009 11:31 AM
Problem with that is that Raley is not designed to be expanded and doesn't have enough infrastructure support nor space to be demolished and rebuilt as a bigger stadium. Plus as always someone would have to pay for it.
Posted by Dan on January 12, 2009 04:09 PM
If the Bay isn't where you can be, A's, then come to Las Vegas or Salt Lake. We'll support you!
Posted by TheWiz on January 12, 2009 05:02 PM