MLB: Oakland City Council Approves Own Terms Sheet for Howard Terminal Stadium After Grueling Exchange with President of A

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) – Oakland City Council has voted to adopt its own list of conditions to continue negotiations with the A’s for a new stadium at Howard Terminal.

Now it’s up to the team officials to decide if they want to go ahead with the city plan.

Mayor Libby Schaaf, Council Chair Nikki Fortunato Bas and Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kaplan released the following joint statement following the council vote:

“Today’s vote by city council marks an important milestone in our mission to keep the A’s rooted in Oakland and build a world-class waterside baseball stadium neighborhood that will benefit the community for generations to come.

Based on our extensive negotiations, shared values ​​and shared vision, we believe the A’s can and should agree to the terms approved by city council today. This is the way forward to keep As’s rooted in Oakland in a way that protects our port and taxpayers and will produce the benefits our community demands and deserves.

We look forward to continuing to work with the A’s to address their remaining concerns and now focus on crafting a final environmental report and a binding development agreement that address the intricate details of this visionary project. “

VIDEO: A President Dave Kaval Says July 20 Vote ‘Last at Bat’ for Oakland Team

If Athletics were to leave the city of Oakland, it would leave the city as a wasteland of professional sports, once a flourishing symbol of passionate neighborhood fandom.

“I grew up, I’ve been to games at this stadium since I was little,” said Rhonda Morris, a longtime A fan. “It hurts my heart a lot. I was in high school when the Raiders are gone and I was here when they came back. To imagine Oakland without a sports team is not even something I can imagine. “

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One of the main sticking points in the negotiation process has been who is behind the bill. The As demanded the city to pay $ 855 million using taxes generated by the project, which city leaders opposed.

Another idea proposed is to rebuild on the current site of the Oakland Coliseum. It would be a cheaper alternative and help avoid using taxpayer money, which the city has said it does not want to do. Conversely, Oakland A executives have said they much prefer the Howard Terminal Baseball Stadium site.

VIDEO: “Where they belong”: Bay Area sports fans let it know, they want the A’s to stay in Oakland