Oakland, CA Has a New Proposition for City Council; the $12B Howard Terminal

Oakland, CA will get 3,000 affordable housing units, 1.5 million square feet (sq ft) of office space, and 270,000 sq ft of retail space in the Jack London Square area.

The Proposed $12 Billion Howard Terminal

The President of the Athletics (A’s) says the ballpark is just a small part of what the city will receive under the proposed deal. He says it is “…more than just a ballpark for us and for Oakland: public access to the waterfront, greenspace and parks, housing for Oaklanders, union jobs, and countless community benefits.”

He says the project’s use of “unionized labor” will generate $450 million in construction and daily operations to the city. He estimates the total annual return to the city general fund will be nearly $1 B.

Latest Howard Terminal ballpark renderings – Revealed, 27 Feb 2021

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One fan, Alex E. said, “I just hope we're not still talking about renderings in 2025 and beyond. It's exciting but we in the bay, especially Oakland, are used to heartbreak.” At the same time, another noted that the city needs to keep its last professional team in town.

A new waterfront ballpark for the Oakland A's

In the proposal, the Oakland A's baseball team would get a $1 billion stadium. The stadium is reported to be privately funded, though no one has stated whom that funding will come from. Oakland’s Mayor, Libby Schaaf, said:

“The City is willing… to help make this vision a reality; however, today’s proposal from the A’s appears to request public investment at the high end for projects of this type nationwide.”

Is the mayor looking at the stadium's price or the entire $12 Billion Howard Terminal project? The proposed stadium is $1 billion (B).

The mayor must be because most would say that $1 B is about average or a little below market price for a 35,000-seat stadium in 2021 and beyond. The Yankees paid $1.5 B, Cincinnati, $900 million in 2009, and many stadiums exceeded that expense, like:

1. SoFi Stadium in Inglewood at $5.5 B

2. Allegiant Stadium, where the Raiders escaped to in Vegas, $1.84 B

3. MetLife Stadium in NJ was $1.7 B

4. Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA was $1.7 B

Admittedly, some of those stadiums are multipurpose stadiums. Perhaps, the city should have done more to get a new multi-team facility built to keep the Raiders in town and get the A’s a new home.

The A’s pursued a new stadium for three years. In a letter to the Oakland, CA city council, team President Dave Kaval said, "…more than just a ballpark for us and for Oakland: public access to the waterfront, greenspace and parks, housing for Oaklanders, union jobs, and countless community benefits."

Oakland A’s on a roll: Win 13 straight

The A’s were 0-6 to start the season; they then ripped off 13 wins in a row, the third-longest win streak (Their longest was an MLB record 20 in-a-row in 2002, which was broken by Cleveland in 2017, with 22.), to go from worst to first in the American League West. They are now 14-8 and have a one-game lead on the Seattle Mariners.

The manager, Bob Melvin, said, “You do want to win the series, but you also want to get greedy. We’ve been greedy here recently.” He probably wants his team to stay greedy all year.

One of the reasons for the team’s recent success has been, Mark Canha the OF, who leads the MLB with 23 runs scored, despite a mediocre average of .260.

Two other players have been a significant boost for the team, Matt Olson and the ageless Jed Lowrie, tied for fourth in the MLB with 17 RBI each. Lowrie had a three-run homer in win number thirteen, and Mark Canha and Matt Olson added two hits and two RBI in the

Success now could be crucial to get a new stadium. Oakland officials and voters do not have a history of spending money to keep their teams in town. Last year, the Oakland Raiders walked away from Oakland, CA, to settle into a new $1.84 B home in Las Vegas, NV.

The Raiders Legacy of lost hope

The Raiders initially started in Oakland, CA, in 1960, then moved to Los Angeles in 1982 but returned in 1995. But 2019 was the last full season for the Raiders in Oakland. Marshawn Lynch reportedly handed out shots in the parking lot before the game.

Oakland had not spent any money on Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, former home of the Raiders, since the $200 million worth of restorations in 1995-96 season when the Raiders came back.

Yet, Oakland Raider fans were some of the most loyal and familiar around the NFL. Let’s hope they can get this stadium approved to keep the A’s in town.

Stephen Dalton is a retired US Army First Sergeant with a degree in journalism from the University of Maryland and a Certified US English Chicago Manual of Style Editor. Medium Top Writer in Travel, Fiction, Transportation, VR, NFL, Design, Creativity, and Short Story.

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