The Oakland A’s push to build a new ballpark at Howard Terminal has taken another step forward, with the Oakland City Council approving an agreement that allows an environmental review to be released.
The A’s are looking to replace the Coliseum with a new ballpark, proposing the Port of Oakland’s Howard Terminal as the site of a privately financed facility that would anchor surrounding mixed-use development. While the proposal still has hurdles to clear, the A’s have made considerable progress since they first unveiled it in November 2018. That push continued on Tuesday, with the city council unanimously approving an agreement with the port that allows for the release of an environmental review of the proposal.
An environmental review is key to the process, as the report is expected to analyze the proposed development’s potential impact on the property. Its release would come ahead of what will likely be some crucial decisions by the city council, including whether to approve the creation of a special use tax district to help fund infrastructure for a Howard Terminal project. The A’s have been hoping to break ground at Howard Terminal next year, setting up a 2023 opening for the ballpark.
For the A’s, the Howard Terminal ballpark is one part of a larger proposal that also calls for the redevelopment of the Coliseum site. More exact parameters of that project could take shape over time, but the A’s have released a broad vision that includes tearing down the Coliseum and replacing it with a small sports park/amphitheater, retaining Oakland Arena as an event venue, and redeveloping the surrounding the land with mixed-use amenities. Alameda County voted last month to proceed with a sale of its half-share of the Coliseum site to the A’s for $85 million, and the team and the city are currently in negotiations about Oakland’s 50% stake in the property.
Rendering courtesy Oakland A’s and Bjarke Ingels Group.
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