Oakland cleared a major hurdle Tuesday in its quest to keep the A’s from departing to Las Vegas or another city.
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 for a non-binding resolution to commit tax dollars to the $12 billion Howard Terminal project, a proposed new baseball stadium and surrounding development area.
Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf cheered the vote, saying it “paves a clear path to keep the A’s rooted in Oakland and build a world-class waterfront ballpark district that will benefit Bay Area residents for generations to come.”
The proposal goes beyond the new stadium to encompass commercial, residential, and community efforts.
- 1.8 million square feet of commercial space
- 3,000 residential units
- A 3,500-capacity performance venue
- A hotel with around 400 rooms
A key sticking point in negotiations between the team, city, and county involves the team’s plan to privately fund development of the surrounding area, then recover funds through tax revenue.
In July, the Oakland City Council voted to allow the team to recover tax funds from stadium-related infrastructure but removed $352 million in paybacks for infrastructure spending on the surrounding Jack London Square area.
Oakland saw the Golden State Warriors move across the bay to San Francisco in 2019, and the NFL’s Raiders left for Las Vegas in 2020.
