The A's appear to have "strong interest" in a 13-acre site near downtown Oakland for a new ballpark that is currently HQ to the Peralta Community College District (PCCD), according to Matier & Ross of the S.F. CHRONICLE. The location has the "neighborhood feel" the A’s are seeking, which is something Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum "doesn’t even come close to." In addition to freeway access, the PCCD site is "within easy walking distance" of a subway station. Any ballpark built there also would have "spectacular views of Lake Merritt and the East Bay hills from the upper deck." However, the site is "just west" of Laney College's campus. PCCD Chancellor Jowel Laguerre said that Laney faculty and students would "probably put up a fight." Another challenge is Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, whose support is "vital." However, she "likes a different site" -- pushing for the team to relocate to Howard Terminal, north of Jack London Square on the waterfront. Schaaf sees a 40,000-seat ballpark on that site as an "opportunity to create a new neighborhood in the largely industrial area." But the A’s "see several downsides to Howard Terminal." There is no subway station nearby, and "auto access is impaired by the railroad tracks that run near the property." The building on the waterfront also "would require approval from various state agencies." Matier & Ross note there is "another plus" to the PCCD site in that a ballpark next to the freeway "could mean millions of dollars in extra revenue from signage," including from whatever company buys ballpark naming rights. As promising as the PCCD site "looks on paper, the A’s front office is keenly aware that it will have to overcome some real political headwinds to succeed there" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 6/19).
