Oakland City Council March 21, 2023
= AGENDA REPORT TO: Honorable Mayor & City Council FROM: Councilmember Kaplan (At-Large) SUBJECT: Affirming the Oakland A’s Belong in Oakland DATE: November 7, 2023 RECOMMENDATION Recommended That The City Council Adopt: Resolution Affirming That The Oakland A’s Belong In Oakland, And Recognizing The Substantial And Tangible Progress The City Has Achieved In Working Toward A Proposed Oakland Waterfront Ballpark District To Be Developed On The Property Known As The Howard Terminal (Adjacent To The Ferry Dock And The Area Known As Jack London Square) At The Port Of Oakland. Summary The Oakland A’s have a long and storied history in the City of Oakland. Over the past several years, the City has worked in conjunction with the A’s ownership group to secure financing and approvals for a new ballpark development at Howard Terminal. (https://www.oaklandca.gov/resources/waterfront-ballpark-district-at-howard-terminal-faqs ). After local governments achieved Oakland City Council approval for a deal, Alameda County and City declarations in support of providing an Infrastructure Financing District, approval from the Port of Oakland, which owns the land, environmental approval, and raising hundreds of millions of dollars, the A’s made the decision to enter into a “binding” land agreement in Las Vegas. Oakland Athletics fans launched very successful Reverse Boycotts https://theathletic.com/4752714/2023/08/05/oakland-athletics-reverse-boycott-fifth-inning/) where they filled the seats in a show of support for the players and the local support for the Oakland Athletics team here. This resolution includes re-affirmation of the Council’s support for the A’s remaining in Oakland and outlines the steps the City has taken to keep the A’s rooted in The Town. Those steps include: adopting approvals for the Howard Terminal project as requested by the A’s owners, securing $428 million in off-site infrastructure funding; certifying an EIR and successfully defending it in court; working to secure multi-jurisdiction approvals for the project; drafting agreements, development standards, design guidelines and more to enable development.
Honorable Mayor & City Council Subject: Affirming the Oakland A’s Belong in Oakland Date: November 7, 2023 Page 2 Oakland City Council November 7, 2023
In doing so, the City has cleared significant hurdles for a large, mixed-use, highly complicated project which includes residential, commercial and retail elements, elements the A’s ownership had at the time insisted were necessary to make any ballpark project feasible. In sharp contrast, the A’s ownership group is now pursuing a much smaller 9-acre ballpark-only project on leased land in Las Vegas. Yet despite the scaled back nature of that project, it has already become mired in controversy and legal challenges and ballot challenges to a primary public funding source. Further, major questions remain about the Las Vegas site, including where the team will play during construction as well as basic design, costs, and funding sources. With owners of the Athletics changing their desired project to a more focused ballpark project, or even a medium-sized ballpark with entertainment and dining, Oakland can easily accommodate the focused project rapidly, as those are elements of existing approvals, within both Howard Terminal and the Coliseum areas. In addition, with the excellent weather in Oakland, no roof would be needed. Thus, construction of a new ballpark could take place more quickly, and be more affordable, in Oakland. This Resolution also provides that a more focused project, such as more recently described by A’s owners, would be able to move forward in Oakland readily. Furthermore, in acknowledging that the land of Howard Terminal is owned by the Port of Oakland, this Resolution authorizes City Administrative staff and Port leadership to work together in pursuit of this effort. In addition, the Athletics leadership, in 2018, acquired ownership interest in the Oakland Coliseum, and at that time, stated that doing so would ensure they would build a ballpark in Oakland. See: https://twitter.com/athletics/status/978275521661304832. The A’s leadership stated that the Coliseum site would either be used a for a ballpark, or it would be used to raise revenue to help fund a ballpark at Howard Terminal. (See Attached letter). They have thus far utilized neither of those options, which can be used to help fund and expedite a ballpark in Oakland. The City of Oakland has provided viable, detailed and mutually beneficial project and that the A’s should remain in Oakland, their home for more than 55 years, with a powerful fan base, great weather, funding and sites available, region-wide access, and the ability to build a strong future. ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL Councilmembers Kaplan Recommends That The City Council Adopts A Resolution Affirming That The Oakland A’s Belong In Oakland, And Recognizing The Substantial And Tangible Progress The City Has Achieved In Working Toward A Proposed Oakland Waterfront Ballpark District To Be Developed On The Property Known As The Howard Terminal (Adjacent To The Ferry Dock And The Area Known As Jack London Square) At The Port Of Oakland Respectfully submitted, Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan
Honorable Mayor & City Council Subject: Affirming the Oakland A’s Belong in Oakland Date: November 7, 2023 Page 3 Oakland City Council November 7, 2023