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Athletics’ quest for a new baseball stadium at Howard Terminal in Oakland remained alive on Tuesday, when city council voted “yes” to approve a non-binding list of conditions for the project.
Six members voted yes, one voted no and one abstained.
The approved terms are what A’s chairman Dave Kaval has said the team won’t agree to, so it’s now up to the A’s to decide whether they want to continue negotiations. According to Kaval, he didn’t see the offer that was approved until Tuesday morning, and doesn’t see it as a plan the A’s can agree to.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas and Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kaplan issued a joint statement after the 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, our shared values and our 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 developing a final environmental report and a binding development agreement that address the intricate details of this visionary project. “
After nearly two decades of trying to find a new home in the Bay Area, the A’s and the city of Oakland have reached the tipping point. The only thing stopping the As from leaving Oakland – like the Warriors and Raiders before them – is the proposed 35,000-seat park at Howard Terminal.
In April, the A’s made a public proposal that would allow them to self-finance the billion dollar stadium. The proposal would also allow A’s to provide $ 450 million in community benefits and provide $ 11 billion in private investment to build the surrounding neighborhood. The city returned with a counter-proposal on Friday, but the camps were still far away.
“We are still working very hard to reach consensus with the city,” Kaval said Monday on “A’s Pregame Live”. “We’ve had marathon negotiations, especially today. They’ve been pretty intense. We’re still not there. There is still a gap in many pieces of the puzzle, but we’re still hopeful that we can come to that. something by tomorrow we can vote on.
“We really want to get a positive vote on our proposal with some of the concessions around the edges and get it to the board and get a yes.”
While talks were controversial at points on Tuesday, the eight-person city council opted to vote non-binding “yes” to approve the list of rough conditions, meaning negotiations are open for prosecution.
A “no” vote would likely have led the team to push forward with their relocation efforts.
It is not clear whether the “yes” vote would keep the A’s at the negotiating table, as the parties still appeared distant on Tuesday during discussions on the draft.
KGO-TV’s Casey Pratt detailed the discussions.
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Kaval, who joined the A’s in 2016 and led the charge for a new stadium, previously said it was “Howard Terminal or bust” for the franchise to stay in Oakland.
The A’s lease with the Coliseum ends in 2024. Howard Terminal Park wouldn’t be finished until 2027 if it is finally approved, leaving the A’s with a two-year gap to fill.
The As have spotted Las Vegas and the surrounding area as a potential new home if the Howard Terminal project does not materialize. Other cities such as Portland, Oregon; Nashville, Tennessee; and Montreal could also become an option if the A’s really started looking for a new home outside the Bay.
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