Hold onto your hats: Bud Selig’s blue-ribbon Oakland A’s relocation committee has actually done something! Okay, it’s just meeting with Oakland and San Jose officials to discuss the status of their respective stadium plans, which does nothing to resolve the underlying standoff between the A’s and Giants over territorial rights, but hey, it’s something.
Meanwhile, Oakland officials have apparently put forward yet another possible stadium site, to go with the Coliseum City concept that no one is all that excited about: the Howard Terminal shipping facility just north of Jack London Square, which is owned by the Port of Oakland and could be made available for a stadium MLB, reports the Oakland Tribune, has indicated that it would “prefer a waterfront stadium near downtown,” and the Howard Terminal site qualifies, though unlike the Coliseum site it’s nearly a mile from the nearest BART public transit stop.
A’s owner Lew Wolff reacted to the new plan with characteristic distaste, telling the Tribune: “We have analyzed Howard Terminal upside down and sideways, and it has no ability to be implemented for a ballpark.” But of course he’s going to say that, as any possibility for a stadium in Oakland makes it even less likely that he can convince Selig to wrest San Jose from the clutches of the Giants’ territorial-rights lawyers. Whether he’d consider it if San Jose were off the table is unknown, and probably will remain so unless Selig’s committee returns a verdict against his move to San Jose. Which is to say, we’ll probably be waiting forever.
Neil, the CA state controller’s office is reviewing San Jose’s land deal (the use of redevelopment money) for the A’s stadium.
Neil, It’s not just Wolff that has dismissed the Howard Terminal site. Oakland and Alameda County had HOK Sport conduct a study of east bay sites back in 2001 and they concluded that HT was a less than ideal site to due costing up to 75% more to implement than other sites in the east bay ($517 million in 2001 money no less, which is about $670 million in modern cash). And all of the deficiencies of the site including remoteness from public transit, the compromised structural integrity of the site, and the cost of moving the current tenants out all still remain.
http://www.oaklandfans.com/ballpark/
If you read the linked article, the current tenant at Howard Terminal is trying to break its lease, so that’s probably less of an issue. The site is more constrained, though, and would need parking garages built in addition to the BART problem. It’s definitely less than ideal, but so is the Coliseum site — if Wolff doesn’t get permission to go to San Jose, we’re deep into Plan B’s here.
Neil- a couple things–first a port spokesperson last night said that the current tenant is not interested in moving–and if they were there is no place to go. What they are looking for is a reduction in costs to their 25 year lease. Second, as Dan has pointed out this site was reviewed by HOK and rated below the Fremont sites that were already pursued by Lew W. Finally, where does the city of Oakland come up with $40M to buy the land, maybe a $100M to re-enforce the peer for a ballpark before they think of infrastrucuture improvements like roads/sidewalks etc to make it easier for pedestrian access—any wonder why LW isn’t interested in listening again about a site that has already been rejected by East Bay leaders in the past—also note that this is their 3rd site in the past year they have thrown on the table—and so far none have stuck.
Neil, here you go:
“Secret Baseball Meetings, Audit Coincide”
sanjoseinside.com/news/entries/8_7_12_mlb_baseball_stadium_oakland_athletics/
More on the pros and cons of the Howard Terminal site:
newballpark.org/2012/08/07/howard-terminal-revisited-again/
round and around we go – again.
Lew-Lew made it clear that he wants the “carriage” (car) trade in SJ because they’ll spend more per opening than the BART’ites can. The owner group has no interest in any Oak. location, sorry A’z (as in a daze) fans.
“Grandstand” plays like the Oak. mayor sitting with the flag-wavers in the bleachers illuminates the desperation that’s engulfing city hall. This latest scheme has all sub the subtlety of a swimmer thrashing about in the vicinity of a shark on the prowl.
Paul:
Wolff certainly wants San Jose, and mainly for the reasons specified (wealthier fan base, just more money all round).
The issue isn’t what Wolff wants, however. Thus far, MLB has not paved the way for him to get to San Jose unless he reaches an agreement satisfactory to the Giants (whether the Giants territorial claim can be justified in a court or not is another matter, should such an issue ever get there… which I’d have to think is highly unlikely given the closed shop world Mr. Selig likes to run).
Wolff & co may have no interest in Oakland. But they bought the Oakland A’s, and until and unless the commissioner decides to allow them to move, that is what they own. Refusing to talk to Oakland when he has no other option (at least at present) is foolhardy.
Maybe KJ will build him a ballpark village in Sacramento (ahem), but I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for that either. Unless he can reach an agreement with the Giants, or feels capable of challenging the Giants (and MLB, likely) in court, he’s stuck with a franchise in Oakland. He could plan to move cross country (IE: out of the bay area entirely), but there aren’t many viable markets available at the moment. Other than Montreal (which is questionable given it’s past, and certainly would offer less in inducements than Oakland has) and New Jersey (which he can’t get to without paying both the Yankees and Mets, in all likelihood), where can he go?
Boise? Las Vegas? Des Moines?? It’s not an attractive list of options… which is likely why he keeps harping on San Jose, even though he doesn’t have the ability to move there.
“He could plan to move cross country (IE: out of the bay area entirely), but there aren’t many viable markets available at the moment. Other than Montreal (which is questionable given it’s past, and certainly would offer less in inducements than Oakland has) and New Jersey (which he can’t get to without paying both the Yankees and Mets, in all likelihood), where can he go?
Boise? Las Vegas? Des Moines?? It’s not an attractive list of options…”
What about Vancouver, BC?
Oakland has a plan
HT -> CC -> VC
VC -> HT -> CC
CC -> VC -> HT
that is the plan , LOL
oh another plan
HT -> VC -> CC