Dave Stewart said that he envisions redevelopment that would benefit residents of the areaGETTY IMAGES
Former MLBer Dave Stewart submitted a "bid to buy the city of Oakland's share of the Coliseum site" for $115M, according to Slusser & Kawahara of the S.F. CHRONCILE. Stewart has ideas of "developing it and potentially building a stadium there if plans for a Howard Terminal ballpark don't materialize." The A's own the other half after a deal in October to buy Alameda County's portion for $85M. The city has been "negotiating with the A's about possibly selling its shares to the team as well." A spokesperson for Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf confirmed that Stewart's offer is "one of 'several' the city has received." If the A's leave the Coliseum site, Stewart said that he "envisions redevelopment that would benefit residents of the area." Stewart "did not specify partners or other investors." He said that any project "would be approached in stages." Stewart said that he has talked with A's President Dave Kaval about "how the Coliseum site would be used and would be happy to work with the team." Stewart also said that he "still views the site as a viable option for a new A's ballpark and he's submitting plans to the city that both do and do not include a stadium there" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 1/17).
OTHERS INTERESTED: In San Jose, Shayna Rubin notes one of the other bids for the share of the site is from the African American Sports & Entertainment Group, as the Oakland-based investment group "submitted a $92 million bid to buy the city's share." Keeping the A's in Oakland was a "central motivation" for Stewart in making his bid, as was "developing restaurants and shops in the area to turn a part of his hometown into a destination." The A's 10-year lease of the Coliseum is up in '24 (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 1/17).
