A committee to protect the San Francisco Bay is recommending that the Port of Oakland keep Howard Terminal for maritime use – a potentially major setback for the Athletics' waterfront ballpark plans.
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The Seaport Planning Advisory Committee voted on Wednesday that Howard Terminal remain a parking lot for possible future seaport use, instead of as the site for the A's proposed $12 billion development that includes a $1 billion ballpark.
The seaport committee, comprised of officials from environmental groups and transportation agencies throughout the Bay Area, provides technical expertise to the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. The committee analyzed how the Howard Terminal project would impact port operations and the surrounding environment.
However, their vote is not a final decision and instead serves as a recommendation to the BCDC. The A's need the BCDC's approval to move forward with the proposal. The commission is scheduled to vote on the project on June 2, needing two-thirds support to pass.
A's President Dave Kaval told KCBS Radio on Wednesday that the committee's recommendation is "very disappointing" and adds a lot of "uncertainty" to the project.
"There's been almost two years of study and the Port of Oakland has weighed in and said very clearly that they have plenty of other land, hundreds of acres that are available to use and a better use of this property would be for the mixed use development and the ballpark," he explained.
Many shipping companies are hoping the ballpark project will strike out with the commission. Mike Jacob with the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association told KCBS Radio this proposed "city within a city" will hurt the Port of Oakland.
"Do you want to continue to have a growing seaport in the future, or do you want to start making the Oakland waterfront look like the San Francisco waterfront?" he asked.
Meanwhile, Kaval said the A's are ramping up talks with Las Vegas as a backup plan if the Howard Terminal site falls through.
"We've made additional offers on additional properties over the last week or so. We're down to about five sites in the resort corridor,” he said. "(Major League Baseball) was very clear about nine months ago that we needed to have multiple cities in the mix in case there were setbacks and in case things in Oakland didn’t materialize the way we were hoping. I think (Wednesday) obviously shines a light on those concerns and that’s exactly why we undertook that course of action."
Justin Berton, a spokesperson for Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf's office, told KCBS Radio in an emailed statement that Wednesday’s meeting delivered "important feedback" but "we believe the Port of Oakland and its leadership knows its capacity best."
"We agree with their detailed analysis that shows they can continue to thrive and grow port activities well into the future," Berton wrote, "as well as support a transformational, world-class development that will open 18 acres of public parks along the waterfront and create more affordable housing and thousands of great union jobs for the region."
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