Another critical vote is approaching which could drastically impact the A's hopes of staying in Oakland.
The Oakland City Council will decide on Thursday whether to certify the final environmental impact report on the Oakland Athletics' proposed $12 billion ballpark project at Howard Terminal.
Both the team and city agree that approval of the 3,500 page report, years in the making, is a crucial step in the project's process because the city can’t enter into a binding agreement with the A's until it’s certified.
"It is a legal requirement for this project to move forward," Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf told KCBS Radio. "It sets the floor, these are absolutely mandatory mitigations that must be done as part of the project."
"I am hopeful that this will be certified by the city council, a huge milestone to move our waterfront ballpark district forward," she added.
A's President Dave Kaval shared similar sentiments.
"We're really excited to get to the point where the environmental impact report can actually receive an affirmative vote," he told KCBS Radio. "It's a big accomplishment to get here, we've worked really hard with the city… this is a big milestone."
In addition to the new ballpark, the proposal also includes a hotel with approximately 400 rooms, up to 3,000 affordable housing units, 18 acres of parks, 1.8 million square feet of commercial space, and an arts venue.
Schaaf said the environmental impact report has received a "tremendous amount of input" by "many expert voices" and will "set a standard for an environmentally sustainable project." This includes a plan for zero net emissions, and improvements which will improve the health and wellbeing of surrounding neighbors. She said she's confident the report will approach climate change with "all the urgency and seriousness it deserves." Kaval added that the project will also improve the air quality in West Oakland.
Approval of the environmental report is the first of three critical checkpoints in the coming months before the two sides can reach a binding agreement. After the report, the council will need to approve a development agreement and community benefits agreement, both of which Schaaf said she hopes to present in front of the council later this summer. According to Schaaf, those two agreements will address a "myriad of issues very important to Oaklanders," including transportation, job creation, requirements for open space for public access, affordable housing and ensuring the Port of Oakland's economy keeps "chugging along,"
The A's have just two more years left on their current lease at the Oakland Coliseum. In addition to the Howard Terminal project, the team has concurrently been exploring relocating to Las Vegas. Kaval said they are down to "a handful" of final sites in Southern Nevada.
"We're working on those two parallel paths to put the franchise in the best position to have a home because we are desperately running out of time," he explained.
"We're doing everything we can to get this project approved in Oakland, but we don't know," he continued.
Thursday's city council meeting is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.
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