Now that a key Oakland city commission has signed off on the exhaustive 3,500-page environmental impact review for a new waterfront ballpark and project, what comes next to keep the Athletics from leaving town?
Although Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf called the Oakland Planning Commission's unanimous recommendation that the city council certify the Howard Terminal environmental impact report a major step forward, it's far from a done deal.
"(The) biggest unknown is the development agreement," Schaaf said Thursday morning during an interview on KCBS Radio, noting that the city still needs to approve entitlements like changes to land use. "That lays out all the financial terms, the schedule upon which all the different aspects of this development are gonna get done."
"Because this is not just a ballpark," she added.
No, it’s 3,000 units of housing, 1.5 million square feet of office space, as well as stores and walking trails. While the A’s have promised to use their own money to build the 35,000-seat stadium, public money would pay for infrastructure around the Port of Oakland.
That's where you’ll see negotiation over who pays how much for what, according to KCBS Radio Insider Phil Matier.
"It's not coming out of the Oakland general fund, it’s not gonna mean less police and fire," Matier said Thursday morning on KCBS Radio. "But, yes, it is taxpayers’ money, but it’s not going into the stadium. It’s going around the stadium. You wanna figure out how that goes? That’s where the politics come in."
The city council voted 6-1 in July to approve an amended term sheet that differed from the A’s April proposal last April. Schaaf said it’s paramount the A’s accept the city council’s deal terms.
"That is a really strong position that we have, and that is the one thing going forward that I see could slow things down," Schaaf said. "Because the council has been very clear about what our values are. Community benefits, affordable housing – these have to be part of this project."
After being given the green light to explore relocation options from MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred last year, the A's have scouted a number of potential stadium locations in Las Vegas. A's President Dave Kaval has repeatedly said the organization is pursuing "parallel paths" to build a stadium in both cities.
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