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The Billion Dollar Stadium In Oakland

October 28, 2021

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Hey Friends,

The Oakland Athletics might have the worst ballpark in Major League Baseball.

Constructed in 1964 and renovated in 1995, the Oakland Coliseum has played home to a variety of teams over the last 55+ years — including the Oakland A’s, the Oakland Raiders, the Oakland Clippers, the Oakland Stompers, the Oakland Invaders, and the San Jose Earthquakes.

The problem? No one plays there anymore…except the Athletics.

In addition to a severe lack of 21st-century amenities and sharing the field with a football team for decades, the stadium’s lights often go out, players frequently complain about the field conditions, and with the field situated below sea level, drainage problems have even caused raw sewage to flow into the home, visitor and umpire clubhouses.

"I think the league has been really clear that this site does not fit the 21st-century vision of baseball in North America. You need a downtown urban location to be successful, especially in a two-team market where you have the Giants in a similar stadium on the waterfront,” says team president Dave Kaval.

Tampa is giving them a run for their money, but trust me, it’s really bad.

So, looking to continue the exponential growth that Major League Baseball has seen over the last several decades, the Athletics & MLB commissioner Rob Manfred have given the city of Oakland an ultimatum:

Either approve a new $12 billion development project in Oakland or risk losing the team to a new, sexier market willing to do it themselves — like Las Vegas, Nevada.

This cat and mouse game has gone on for years. Oakland fans could have a museum of stadium renderings by now, and team/league executives have taken 10+ trips to tour potential stadium locations in Las Vegas.

But the Athletics aren’t just looking to renovate the Coliseum.

The A’s have proposed a $12 billion downtown Howard Terminal waterfront development—less than 15 minutes from the coliseum—that would include a $1 billion private-funded stadium and rival the newly built SoFi stadium in Los Angeles.

Howard Terminal Project Details

  • $1 billion stadium

  • 3,000 housing units

  • 1.5 million-sq-ft of office space

  • 270,000-sq-ft of retail space

  • 400-room hotel

  • 18 acres of parkland

The proposal includes $450 million in community benefits, $955 million in general fund revenues, and an $855 million commitment from the city for infrastructure improvements.

The good news? It looks like we might finally be making some progress.

Local government officials conducted a non-binding vote on Tuesday night, providing preliminary approval to a financing district key for development of a new $1 billion Oakland Athletics ballpark and $11 billion in related development.

Again, the vote is non-binding, but it allows negotiations to move forward.

“Tonight’s vote by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors is a historic action that creates a clear path to keep the A’s rooted in Oakland and build a world-class waterfront ballpark district that will benefit Bay Area residents for generations to come,” wrote Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf in a press statement.

There is still a long way to go. Environmental concerns need to be abated, while several local and state agencies need to conduct reviews and provide approval, among other things.

Still, you can’t help but get excited. Why? Because this is how the waterfront stadium at Howard Terminal in downtown Oakland might look. They are renderings, but you get the point, it’s beautiful.

We’ll see what happens. The Athletics' current lease at the Oakland Coliseum only runs through 2024, so things need to get moving fast whether they are staying in Oakland or moving to another city.

As always, I’ll keep you updated as things change.

I hope everyone has a great day, and we’ll talk tomorrow.

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