Decision on Ballpark at Port of Oakland Nears Crucial Stage
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Whether the Oakland Athletics build a new stadium inside the Port of Oakland facility, along the waterfront at the abandoned Howard Terminal, must be voted on soon, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said.
The issue has become contentious because trucking is firmly against a ballpark at the port — the eighth-busiest cargo port in the nation and critical to the West Coast supply chain — because of anticipated congestion.
California Trucking Association and the Harbor Trucking Association oppose the plan.
Manfred
The Oakland City Council is set to meet July 20 for a nonbinding vote on the Howard Terminal ballpark proposal. The team’s leadership is making it clear the Howard Terminal proposal needs to be approved, or the team will leave after its lease at RingCentral Coliseum expires at the end of the 2024 season.
“[Controlling majority owner John Fisher] has done everything I’ve asked him to do in terms of keeping the A’s in Oakland and more than I asked him to do in terms of financial commitment,” Manfred told reporters at MLB’s All-Star Game festivities in Denver. “So we’re going to know one way or another what’s going to happen in Oakland in the next couple of months.”
The multibillion-dollar waterfront redevelopment project would replace the aging Coliseum. Otherwise, the team will move to a new city. Las Vegas is the leading contender, which would mark the team’s fourth city since it became a founding member of the American League in 1901. The Athletics, who have called Oakland home since 1968, also have played in Philadelphia (1901-54) and Kansas City.
While the Howard Terminal has not served cargo operations in nearly a decade because it’s considered too small to handle huge containerships, it is being used for vessel berthing and other purposes such as truck and container parking, training longshore workers and other logistics services.
The staff recommended deal puts us on a path to deliver on our shared vision of a world-class ballpark + development that creates affordable housing & parks, connects downtown to the waterfront, brings jobs to West Oakland, all while protecting the economic engine of our Port. — Libby Schaaf (@LibbySchaaf) July 8, 2021
Port of Oakland officials referred comment about the stadium proposal to the City Council, and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said the port and ballpark can be compatible partners.
“The only viable path to keeping the A’s rooted in Oakland is a ballpark on the waterfront,” she said.
However, trucking leaders are lining up against the plan. They said a ballpark and real estate development inside a thriving port could damage the port’s operational effectiveness.
Howard Terminal Waterfront Project by Transport Topics on Scribd
California Trucking Association and the Harbor Trucking Association argue the team and league should use the nearby parking lots of the RingCentral Coliseum for the new stadium, following the model by Philadelphia, the Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati that demolished old facilities and built new ones a short distance away.
Yadon
“When you’re talking about being in the heart of an active port there are concerns about productivity, efficiency and safety that go with it,” CTA President Shawn Yadon told Transport Topics. “I think folks that are dependent on the port for their business have concerns about that.”
If the A’s where to relocate, they would be the third pro sports team to leave the city in just the past five years. The NBA’s Golden State Warriors moved to San Francisco after a new waterfront arena was built for the team. The NFL’s Oakland Raiders departed for the new $1.9 billion Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The Port of Oakland processed 226,406 containers in June compared with 185,595 units the same time a year ago, a 22% increase.
It is especially important to the agriculture industry for farmers in California and the Midwest who transport millions of pounds of raw commodities and for those shipping frozen meat to Asian nations.
Earlier this spring, MLB gave the team permission to begin discussions with other cities about a possible relocation.
“Las Vegas is a viable alternative for a major-league club,” Manfred said in Denver. “There are other viable alternatives that I haven’t turned the A’s loose to even explore at this point.”
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