Oakland Redevelopment Agency Abandons Plans For Waterfront A's Ballpark

The California take-back of redevelopment money has forced the city of Oakland "to abandon plans for a waterfront ballpark -- the linchpin of efforts to keep the A's" in town, according to Angela Woodall of the OAKLAND TRIBUNE. Oakland Redevelopment Agency Head Gregory Hunter, whose organization will soon be dissolved, said that the city can "no longer afford Victory Court without redevelopment dollars." That means the focus "is solely on revamping the O.co Coliseum complex with retail, restaurants, hotels and new sports facilities for the Raiders and Warriors." The plan "would include a new ballpark for the A's if the team stays in Oakland." The city has "already selected a team of consultants to conduct an environmental impact review of the Coliseum site, the first step in the planning process." The group "includes Oakland-based JRDV; the sports facility architectural firm HKS;" and developers Forest City. The A's are "eager to move to San Jose, where an EIR already has been completed on a proposed ballpark, but that project still faces several hurdles" (OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 1/31).

USING BALLPARK ISSUE AS AN EXCUSE? The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat's Lowell Cohn said A's Owner Lew Wolff is "always saying, 'We can't put out a team because we don't have a ballpark. We won't get a ballpark in the best scenario for several years.'" Cohn: "So they're just going to stink for several years. I can't stand an ownership group like that.” The San Jose Mercury News’ Mark Purdy said MLB “should have made up their mind about this two years ago." Purdy: "It's been three years since they put together that panel. ... Lew Wolff has sincerely made an effort to get a ballpark in Oakland. It didn't happen. He deserves an answer sooner." However, Purdy said he is not sure about A’s GM Billy Beane's assertion that is is "hard for him to sign free agents long-term because they don't know in year four and five where they're going to be playing and they can't commit a lot of money to it." Purdy: "He has said guys don't want to come here and play in the Coliseum. That's an excuse. Some of it’s legitimate, I don't know how to put a percentage on the legitimacy” ("Chronicle Live," Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, 1/30).