Top Menu

A’s Hope to Reveal Ballpark Site By Year’s End

Coliseum City, Oakland

Four sites for a new ballpark are reportedly on the table, and the Oakland A’s hope to announce plans to build a facility at one of them by year’s end.  

The effort to replace the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum has been ongoing for years, but has taken a different turn in recent months. Dave Kaval was appointed to the position of president as part of a major front office shakeup in November, a move that followed October comments in which Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred expressed his desire to see the A’s remain in Oakland.

That, combined with a gradually diminishing cut of revenue sharing dollars that is set to take place, puts a little more urgency behind the new ballpark search. During the team’s Fan Fest over the weekend, A’s officials confirmed that they are continuing to evaluate ballpark site options, and could make a decision later this year. More from The Mercury News:

With the arrival of a new club president, Dave Kaval, in November, the A’s focus has been on building a baseball-only stadium. The A’s have talked the talk for a decade, but four sites – Howard Terminal near Jack London Square, Laney College near the Lake Merritt BART station, Brooklyn Basin across Interstate 880 and a new park on the Coliseum grounds should the Raiders move – have been locked down.

One of those probably will be picked by year’s end for a privately funded stadium. And the Coliseum isn’t necessarily the favorite. Ken Pries, the club’s VP of broadcasting and communications, said Saturday there was at least a chance that the club would select one of the downtown sites even if the Raiders left, freeing up the Coliseum site.

“It’s possible, yes,” Pries said. “But ideally for us and the city, the Raiders would stay and we’d build a new park downtown.”

Selection of the site remains a major variable in any talks, along with how the ballpark’s detailed funding model will look. Those questions need to be answered, but it at least seems that the A’s are making some strides toward leaving the Coliseum, and have specifically focused that effort on Oakland.

RELATED STORIES: Best of 2016, #7: Oakland A’s Ballpark QuestA’s, Kaval Launch Office HoursKaval: A’s to Focus on Fan ExperienceFocus Increases on A’s Ballpark SearchA’s Facing Potential Ballpark, Revenue IssuesA’s Taking More Active Approach in OaklandManfred, Oakland Still Hoping for New BallparkAre the A’s Interested in Howard Terminal?A’s to Reconsider Howard Terminal SiteManfred Backs Oakland for New A’s BallparkRaiders, A’s Spar Over Future FacilitiesOakland pitches new Athletics ballpark sites;Two-facility solution on horizon in Oakland?; A new mindset in Oakland?; Appeals court rejects San Jose’s claim to A’s;A’s commit to Oakland after lease; architect talks begin;With lease approved, A’s face much larger issue: new ballpark; Winning, conciliatory moves bring back Athletics fans; Oakland Athletics lease extension due for approval tomorrow; Selig calls new Coliseum lease “crucial” in keeping A’s in Oakland; A’s close to Coliseum lease extension; Wolff confirms interest in Coliseum-area ballpark; Wolff: We’d be open to Oakland ballpark site

, , , ,