2 21-0412 Subject: Term Sheet With The Oakland Athletics
From: Vice Mayor Kaplan
Recommendation: Adopt A Resolution Approving Non-Binding Terms Of A Development Agreement With The Athletics Investment Group LLC, D/B/A The Oakland Athletics, A California Limited Liability Company, Including Terms For, But Not Limited To, The Financial Plan, Community Benefits, And Non-Relocation, Related To The Proposed Oakland Waterfront Ballpark District Project To Be Developed On The Property Known As The Howard Terminal At The Port Of Oakland
As an East Bay native & 10 plus year resident of Oakland's District 3 I strongly urge my representative Carroll Fife & the entire City Council to follow the staff recommendation & adopt a resolution approving non-binding terms of a development agreement with the Athletics to develop a waterfront ballpark at Howard Terminal. While it is foolish to think that anyone project can solve all of Oakland's woes, this development project will enable Oakland to do so many things that it so desperately needs to do for it's citizens. This project will give the city a reason to improve the streets that run south through Old Oakland & to enhance the pedestrian walkways under 880. This ballpark district will be true landmark, a source of civic pride & a destination that people will consistently visit Oakland to see. The development will be a nucleus for the one tourist like destination that Oakland has, Jack London Square, & could augur a renaissance for all of the empty store fronts that line Water St. The district will be a year around draw for events like concerts & will surely enhance existing events like Eat Real. This means tax revenue & I shouldn't need to tell you how badly the city needs the money. I challenge the city council to come together & have the vision of something great & unique for Oakland & the region; a vision that has sadly been lacking from your predecessors. Do not miss this opportunity that no one will offer to this city ever again. Please support this resolution.
I am the Founder & CEO of a Marketing / Advertising company, called AdSemble. My first ever childhood experience of Baseball was coming to Oakland with my Father to see an OAKLAND A's game. I understand you view this as a golden opportunity to solve all of Oakland's problems, but as a Successful businessman, I urge you not to be greedy. The team is willing to completely self-fund the stadium as well as retail, housing and more. That is practically unheard of in today's day and age. Additionally, from a Branding perspective, this will attract more businesses (And jobs) from companies like mine to the City of Oakland.
The entire city council of Las Vegas as well as other cities are eagerly awaiting you to make a lifelong mistake - No MLB team will ever come back to Oakland if you let the A's go. Conversely, look how the city of Brooklyn has been able to COMPLETELY do a 180 turn and now attracted the Brooklyn Nets NBA team and new Arena. Now, everyone in NYC wants to live in Brooklyn.
Conduct a feasibility study on how many Billions of dollars Oakland will LOSE for years and years to come, if you let the A's leave...You have the golden egg in your hands.
I would like to bring my son to an Oakland A's game at Howard Terminal one day.. I would like to spend money on Restaurants around the Ballpark. I would like to proudly wear "OAKLAND A's" gear. Please don't steal those moments away from me. Please vote YES on this measure.
I live in D-5 and am troubled by the proposed Howard Terminal development as outlined by the Oakland A's term sheet. As a life-long A’s whose reading of Moneyball was formative to their youth, and who wore a Chavy jersey until the gold lettering was cracked and faded, I want to see the project succeed! This development is important not just to sports fans across the Bay Area, but also has the potential to economically benefit the surrounding community and Oakland as a whole. However, I am concerned that this project will uproot long term residents and contribute to gentrification and displacement in West Oakland and other impacted neighborhoods.
I grew up in the Bay Area, and have been fortunate to have found stability by being able to buy a home in Oakland with my wife and newborn daughter. Housing should be an economic right, and not a privilege for the lucky few. The region has significantly under-built housing, especially affordable housing, and the proposed development is seemingly indifferent to this crisis. It is imperative that any large-scale project on public land directly help meet the housing needs of our neighborhoods, not pose potential harm.
I strongly urge the Council to require the developer to:
•Contribute to a tenant protection fund in the amount of $1.5M a year for the first ten years of the project.
•Provide onsite affordable housing with units be at 60% AMI or below.
•Front the construction and preservation of the off site affordable housing.
I was born and raised in Oakland and currently teach in Oakland. Development at Howard Terminal must include community benefits such as affordable housing, tenant protections, living wages, targeted and fair chance hire, and environmental protections. I strongly urge the Council to require the developer to contribute to a tenant protection fund in the amount of $1.5M a year for the first ten years of the project, require all onsite affordable housing units be accessible at 60% AMI or below, and require the developer to front the cost of the construction of the on and construction and preservation of the off site affordable housing. Please consider the impact of this development on all of the Oakland communities it will impact including East Oakland and Chinatown.
Keep the Oakland A's in Oakland or the city will cement itself as a failure. Can't help their unhoused population, can't clean the streets, can't fix the roads, can't stop the violence, and can't keep a sports team? If we can't rely on them to do this for the third time (granted the raiders was a mess) how can we rely on them for larger issues? Oakland needs projects that will revitalize them and partners who can invest in them. I urge you to vote yes on the Howard terminal site.
The Howard Terminal project and Ballpark is bigger than baseball and will result in a substantial investment and secured future for the people of Oakland and the East Bay Communities. I understand the magnitude of the decisions before you, and I urge you to vote yes on July 20th.
Please keep the A’s rooted in Oakland! What my family and I love about Oakland, and are hard-pressed to find elsewhere, is the diverse culture and richness of family-friendly activities. With the exodus of professional sports teams, we’ve given away a major piece of what makes Oakland a dynamic place for raising a family. While I understand this is not an easy choice, I urge you to consider the long-term prosperity the ballpark will offer the city and community of Oakland. I know you’ll do the right thing to protect and support the values residents like myself find so important to Oakland while keeping our only remaining sports franchise here.
I am opposed to an A's stadium at the Howard Terminal site. The current deal structure favors the developer and will once again leave Oakland saddled with sport's team debt. There must be a way to keep the A's in Oakland but not at Howard Terminal where there is no public transportation infrastructure, there are existing uses and jobs that need to be protected, there are pedestrian rail crossings where mitigation costs are not covered and environmental impacts on the existing West Oakland community.
What other options are there for getting income? How can we support getting income from worker owned businesses? Vote no on this as there is not a clear term sheet. Do not give the equivalent of a blank check to this administration. If there is to be more work on a term sheet then ensure that the super wealthy owners of the A's team pay for community benefits from the profits they will get from this project. The current proposal does not have adequate affordable housing. All affordable housing associated with the project needs to be onsite. There must not be a way for the A's to exit and leave Oakland taxpayers at risk so agreements must match the duration of the lease..
As a lifelong Oakland A”s fan since 1968
My message to the Oakland City Council is short and to the point. There is only 30 city’s in the United States that have a Major League Baseball team and your city is one of them ! Do everything possible to work with the Fisher family and get this beautiful ballpark built in Howard Terminal.Rooted in Oakland forever!!
Lifelong Oakland resident and A’s fan here. The stadium proposal as it stands will negatively impact the community long term. Without a robust community benefits agreement, this new stadium only serves the executives and ownership of the A's, not the fans or the community that make this team great. We need the A’s to commit to building affordable housing on site to address the very real and urgent housing crisis in Oakland, we need them to address the financial impacts of building on an active port, we need them to mitigate environmental and traffic impacts in West Oakland and adjacent neighborhoods like Chinatown.
This development has the potential to show other developers, other teams, what a meaningful engagement process with fans and community members could look like and smooth the development process, but that cannot and will not happen without a CBA that addresses the real needs of the Oakland community. So many Oakland residents, A's Fans, have been pushed out because of development that has not had the people of this city in its best interests. Dave Kaval, said this was bigger than baseball, and it is, we need the A’s to Stay the Right Way, fund a community benefits agreement that addresses the impacts of the stadium, and make sure that the operations of the stadium are compatible with the communities that have been thriving here for generations.
Someone needs to be educated on Affordable Housing. The developer does not loose money they get (LITC) Low income tax credits from the state. If they set aside very-very low income the residents come from the housing authority and the developer is still 100%. They are marketing Luxury Apartments. Redevelopment in West Oakland killed the neighborhood and its infrastructure.
I am commenting as an East Bay business leader, Town Business Member, and a long term bay area resident. We have an employee base of approximately 60 great associates that are scattered across bay area communities, many of whom, call Oakland home. I lived in San Leandro in the late 1980’s and after a move to the east coast, returned to the bay area in 1999 for good. I am also a long-time fan of the A’s and strongly support the efforts to keep the A’s in Oakland and build a new ballpark in Jack London Square. Like many season ticket holders, my children grew up enjoying MLB baseball in the East Bay.
The debate is no longer between revitalizing the Coliseum site vs. Howard terminal. MLB has made it clear that the Coliseum site is no longer a viable option. I have been tracking the activities regarding the new ballpark and the positive economic and environmental impact it would bring to both the Howard terminal site, not to mention the added redevelopment of the coliseum site. The comprehensive plan for Howard terminal and redevelopment of the Coliseum site, cements the A’s in Oakland and bring significant economic benefit here where we really need it.
I understand the magnitude of the decisions before you, and I urge you to do what’s in the best interest of the City of Oakland. I truly believe that if we delay, we forfeit both the opportunity to host professional and slow any significant comprehensive redevelopment effort. Vote yes on July 20th.
Sports franchises have for too long built their success at the expense of the people of the cities where they are located. Our City cannot afford to support Billionaires on the backs and at the expense of the working people of Oakland. COMMUNITY BENEFITS for working people benefit everyone in Oakland and in the entire Bay.
As an Interfaith Community minister with FAME & EJ4BO, I join with other
OAKLAND UNITED COALITION members and call on the Oakland City Council to REQUIRE the billionaire John J. Fisher, team owner of the Oakland Athletics, to PUT OAKLANDERS FIRST. We need a genuine and workable commitment to strong community standards as Mr. Fisher pursues his plans to develop a ballpark, hotel, performance venue, luxury housing, commercial and retail space at Howard Terminal at the Port of Oakland. To ensure that this project benefits working families and long-term residents, the developer and the City of Oakland MUST AGREE to terms that will lay the foundation for GOOD LIVING JOBS, LOCAL AND FAIR CHANCE HIRING, BONA FIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, EFFECTIVE TENANT PROTECTIONS, CLEAN & SAFE AIR, and other CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND COMMUNITY HEALTH BENEFITS.
SUPPORT. Do the right thing for Oakland and Vote YES. The Oakland A's baseball team is a source of pride for our city and losing the last and only professional sports team would be a national embarrassment. The team has been patient with the city for years to get to this point—don't miss this opportunity. The investment and revenue money lost from losing this team would be a monumental failure by city representation. Union jobs to build the stadium, as well as new infrastructure and property tax revenue wold be a boon for our economy. On the other hand, losing a world class attraction, a source of city pride, jobs and more jobs, in addition to the incalculable future investment and revenue opportunities that come from being a host city, would be a shameful embarrassment. World class cities need world class attractions. Support the A's term sheet with a yes vote. We are counting on you—get it done!
My wife and I have lived in Oakland over 40 years. We own a home, I base my business here, and my wife worked in Oakland as a CalEPA scientist, until this year's retirement. We love and support this city. We are thrilled that Oakland has this remarkable opportunity.
The Howard Terminal site is really quite barren, and in great need of remediation. The A’s interest does not reach the Port activities; they will not interfere with the Port. There is very little housing near the proposed development, mostly one-story warehouses and storage yards. Pollution has never really been addressed, and is ongoing. No one has offered to address the great and burgeoning difficulties this stunning area is facing, except the Oakland A's.
The last major interest in this district was someone wishing to ship Utah coal by rail through it and all of Oakland, to put on ships bound for China. Presently, the area has a parking lot, covering up patch of polluted ground, where trucks sit while waiting to make deliveries. The rent on this lot yields only $79K annually to the city of Oakland.
The A’s instituted a lawsuit that has gotten State of CA’s attention to the pollution and the major polluters in this area, finally. Thank you, A’s.
Jack London Square, pretty as it is, has always been under-realized and visited. This development will truly fulfill what Oakland has always wished for Jack London Square. We so look forward to the Oakland A’s truly gorgeous efforts.
Lary Heath & Rachel Broadwin
I am an environmental consulting who writes CEQA environmental documents and specializes in public outreach. I am very concerned about the impact that the proposed project will have on the residents of Chinatown. The environmental review and outreach process has failed to take their concerns into account, and there will be significant and unavoidable impacts, especially with regards to traffic and air quality. There needs to be stronger mitigation and avoidance measures and outreach to residents living near the project. Beyond CEQA, this is an environmental justice issue for an already marginalized community.
I am the 6th generation in my family born and raised in Oakland. Oakland is my home and it is the city I hope to one day raise my children. As much of a die-hard Oakland A’s fan that I am, I am also as much an Oaklander at heart.
I would never support a project that would hurt Oakland, and that is why I am in extreme support of the Oakland A’s Howard Terminal Ballpark project. This project is much, much more than a ballpark. It is a once in a lifetime project that will change this city and show the world how amazing of a city Oakland is. Since the beginning of the summer, I have traveled to several different ballparks including Camden Yards Oracle Park which have completely changed the downtown feel of those cities. I am sick and tired of seeing San Francisco getting all of Bay Area attention and Oakland getting nothing.
One of the most famous baseball quotes off all time is “If you build it, they will come”. If the city approves the A’s project, the entire Bay Area will come. Are we really going to walk away from a $12 billion investment into the waterfront and $400 million in community benefits? This project doesn’t fix all of Oakland’s problems, but it fixes a ton. Howard Terminal is 2% of the Port of Oakland and has not been used since 2013. Plus, do we really want to be known as the city that lost three professional sports teams in three years? Nothing good will come out of that.
Please, please vote yes on the A’s Howard Terminal Project. Do not be afraid.
I am a fan of Oakland and the A's. My great-grandfather opened the Howard Terminal in 1900, and I eventually worked there for a short time in the 1970's with my grandfather, Charles P. Howard, my father, and my two uncles. The docks and waterfront were a somewhat dangerous area, and the Howards welcomed the Jack London Square development. As cargo ships grew in size, and being one of the last privately owned shipping docks on the west coast, my family began looking toward the future with the idea of renovating the old brick warehouses at the terminal for artisans and craftsman to work and sell their creations. Alas, the Port of Oakland had other plans and we moved on. The new ballpark development will not only keep the A's in Oakland, but create much needed housing, parks, and allow restaurants, shops, and other businesses a waterfront venue in which to flourish. It will be a tourist attraction for locals and people from around the world alike. I hope the citizens and city council support and welcome the new ballpark with open arms. Go A's, Go Oakland!
As an East Bay native & 10 plus year resident of Oakland's District 3 I strongly urge my representative Carroll Fife & the entire City Council to follow the staff recommendation & adopt a resolution approving non-binding terms of a development agreement with the Athletics to develop a waterfront ballpark at Howard Terminal. While it is foolish to think that anyone project can solve all of Oakland's woes, this development project will enable Oakland to do so many things that it so desperately needs to do for it's citizens. This project will give the city a reason to improve the streets that run south through Old Oakland & to enhance the pedestrian walkways under 880. This ballpark district will be true landmark, a source of civic pride & a destination that people will consistently visit Oakland to see. The development will be a nucleus for the one tourist like destination that Oakland has, Jack London Square, & could augur a renaissance for all of the empty store fronts that line Water St. The district will be a year around draw for events like concerts & will surely enhance existing events like Eat Real. This means tax revenue & I shouldn't need to tell you how badly the city needs the money. I challenge the city council to come together & have the vision of something great & unique for Oakland & the region; a vision that has sadly been lacking from your predecessors. Do not miss this opportunity that no one will offer to this city ever again. Please support this resolution.
I am the Founder & CEO of a Marketing / Advertising company, called AdSemble. My first ever childhood experience of Baseball was coming to Oakland with my Father to see an OAKLAND A's game. I understand you view this as a golden opportunity to solve all of Oakland's problems, but as a Successful businessman, I urge you not to be greedy. The team is willing to completely self-fund the stadium as well as retail, housing and more. That is practically unheard of in today's day and age. Additionally, from a Branding perspective, this will attract more businesses (And jobs) from companies like mine to the City of Oakland.
The entire city council of Las Vegas as well as other cities are eagerly awaiting you to make a lifelong mistake - No MLB team will ever come back to Oakland if you let the A's go. Conversely, look how the city of Brooklyn has been able to COMPLETELY do a 180 turn and now attracted the Brooklyn Nets NBA team and new Arena. Now, everyone in NYC wants to live in Brooklyn.
Conduct a feasibility study on how many Billions of dollars Oakland will LOSE for years and years to come, if you let the A's leave...You have the golden egg in your hands.
I would like to bring my son to an Oakland A's game at Howard Terminal one day.. I would like to spend money on Restaurants around the Ballpark. I would like to proudly wear "OAKLAND A's" gear. Please don't steal those moments away from me. Please vote YES on this measure.
Matthew J. Olivieri
Founder & CEO
AdSemble, Inc.
I live in D-5 and am troubled by the proposed Howard Terminal development as outlined by the Oakland A's term sheet. As a life-long A’s whose reading of Moneyball was formative to their youth, and who wore a Chavy jersey until the gold lettering was cracked and faded, I want to see the project succeed! This development is important not just to sports fans across the Bay Area, but also has the potential to economically benefit the surrounding community and Oakland as a whole. However, I am concerned that this project will uproot long term residents and contribute to gentrification and displacement in West Oakland and other impacted neighborhoods.
I grew up in the Bay Area, and have been fortunate to have found stability by being able to buy a home in Oakland with my wife and newborn daughter. Housing should be an economic right, and not a privilege for the lucky few. The region has significantly under-built housing, especially affordable housing, and the proposed development is seemingly indifferent to this crisis. It is imperative that any large-scale project on public land directly help meet the housing needs of our neighborhoods, not pose potential harm.
I strongly urge the Council to require the developer to:
•Contribute to a tenant protection fund in the amount of $1.5M a year for the first ten years of the project.
•Provide onsite affordable housing with units be at 60% AMI or below.
•Front the construction and preservation of the off site affordable housing.
I was born and raised in Oakland and currently teach in Oakland. Development at Howard Terminal must include community benefits such as affordable housing, tenant protections, living wages, targeted and fair chance hire, and environmental protections. I strongly urge the Council to require the developer to contribute to a tenant protection fund in the amount of $1.5M a year for the first ten years of the project, require all onsite affordable housing units be accessible at 60% AMI or below, and require the developer to front the cost of the construction of the on and construction and preservation of the off site affordable housing. Please consider the impact of this development on all of the Oakland communities it will impact including East Oakland and Chinatown.
Keep the Oakland A's in Oakland or the city will cement itself as a failure. Can't help their unhoused population, can't clean the streets, can't fix the roads, can't stop the violence, and can't keep a sports team? If we can't rely on them to do this for the third time (granted the raiders was a mess) how can we rely on them for larger issues? Oakland needs projects that will revitalize them and partners who can invest in them. I urge you to vote yes on the Howard terminal site.
The Howard Terminal project and Ballpark is bigger than baseball and will result in a substantial investment and secured future for the people of Oakland and the East Bay Communities. I understand the magnitude of the decisions before you, and I urge you to vote yes on July 20th.
Please keep the A’s rooted in Oakland! What my family and I love about Oakland, and are hard-pressed to find elsewhere, is the diverse culture and richness of family-friendly activities. With the exodus of professional sports teams, we’ve given away a major piece of what makes Oakland a dynamic place for raising a family. While I understand this is not an easy choice, I urge you to consider the long-term prosperity the ballpark will offer the city and community of Oakland. I know you’ll do the right thing to protect and support the values residents like myself find so important to Oakland while keeping our only remaining sports franchise here.
I am opposed to an A's stadium at the Howard Terminal site. The current deal structure favors the developer and will once again leave Oakland saddled with sport's team debt. There must be a way to keep the A's in Oakland but not at Howard Terminal where there is no public transportation infrastructure, there are existing uses and jobs that need to be protected, there are pedestrian rail crossings where mitigation costs are not covered and environmental impacts on the existing West Oakland community.
What other options are there for getting income? How can we support getting income from worker owned businesses? Vote no on this as there is not a clear term sheet. Do not give the equivalent of a blank check to this administration. If there is to be more work on a term sheet then ensure that the super wealthy owners of the A's team pay for community benefits from the profits they will get from this project. The current proposal does not have adequate affordable housing. All affordable housing associated with the project needs to be onsite. There must not be a way for the A's to exit and leave Oakland taxpayers at risk so agreements must match the duration of the lease..
As a lifelong Oakland A”s fan since 1968
My message to the Oakland City Council is short and to the point. There is only 30 city’s in the United States that have a Major League Baseball team and your city is one of them ! Do everything possible to work with the Fisher family and get this beautiful ballpark built in Howard Terminal.Rooted in Oakland forever!!
Lifelong Oakland resident and A’s fan here. The stadium proposal as it stands will negatively impact the community long term. Without a robust community benefits agreement, this new stadium only serves the executives and ownership of the A's, not the fans or the community that make this team great. We need the A’s to commit to building affordable housing on site to address the very real and urgent housing crisis in Oakland, we need them to address the financial impacts of building on an active port, we need them to mitigate environmental and traffic impacts in West Oakland and adjacent neighborhoods like Chinatown.
This development has the potential to show other developers, other teams, what a meaningful engagement process with fans and community members could look like and smooth the development process, but that cannot and will not happen without a CBA that addresses the real needs of the Oakland community. So many Oakland residents, A's Fans, have been pushed out because of development that has not had the people of this city in its best interests. Dave Kaval, said this was bigger than baseball, and it is, we need the A’s to Stay the Right Way, fund a community benefits agreement that addresses the impacts of the stadium, and make sure that the operations of the stadium are compatible with the communities that have been thriving here for generations.
I have been
Someone needs to be educated on Affordable Housing. The developer does not loose money they get (LITC) Low income tax credits from the state. If they set aside very-very low income the residents come from the housing authority and the developer is still 100%. They are marketing Luxury Apartments. Redevelopment in West Oakland killed the neighborhood and its infrastructure.
I am commenting as an East Bay business leader, Town Business Member, and a long term bay area resident. We have an employee base of approximately 60 great associates that are scattered across bay area communities, many of whom, call Oakland home. I lived in San Leandro in the late 1980’s and after a move to the east coast, returned to the bay area in 1999 for good. I am also a long-time fan of the A’s and strongly support the efforts to keep the A’s in Oakland and build a new ballpark in Jack London Square. Like many season ticket holders, my children grew up enjoying MLB baseball in the East Bay.
The debate is no longer between revitalizing the Coliseum site vs. Howard terminal. MLB has made it clear that the Coliseum site is no longer a viable option. I have been tracking the activities regarding the new ballpark and the positive economic and environmental impact it would bring to both the Howard terminal site, not to mention the added redevelopment of the coliseum site. The comprehensive plan for Howard terminal and redevelopment of the Coliseum site, cements the A’s in Oakland and bring significant economic benefit here where we really need it.
I understand the magnitude of the decisions before you, and I urge you to do what’s in the best interest of the City of Oakland. I truly believe that if we delay, we forfeit both the opportunity to host professional and slow any significant comprehensive redevelopment effort. Vote yes on July 20th.
Sports franchises have for too long built their success at the expense of the people of the cities where they are located. Our City cannot afford to support Billionaires on the backs and at the expense of the working people of Oakland. COMMUNITY BENEFITS for working people benefit everyone in Oakland and in the entire Bay.
As an Interfaith Community minister with FAME & EJ4BO, I join with other
OAKLAND UNITED COALITION members and call on the Oakland City Council to REQUIRE the billionaire John J. Fisher, team owner of the Oakland Athletics, to PUT OAKLANDERS FIRST. We need a genuine and workable commitment to strong community standards as Mr. Fisher pursues his plans to develop a ballpark, hotel, performance venue, luxury housing, commercial and retail space at Howard Terminal at the Port of Oakland. To ensure that this project benefits working families and long-term residents, the developer and the City of Oakland MUST AGREE to terms that will lay the foundation for GOOD LIVING JOBS, LOCAL AND FAIR CHANCE HIRING, BONA FIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, EFFECTIVE TENANT PROTECTIONS, CLEAN & SAFE AIR, and other CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND COMMUNITY HEALTH BENEFITS.
SUPPORT. Do the right thing for Oakland and Vote YES. The Oakland A's baseball team is a source of pride for our city and losing the last and only professional sports team would be a national embarrassment. The team has been patient with the city for years to get to this point—don't miss this opportunity. The investment and revenue money lost from losing this team would be a monumental failure by city representation. Union jobs to build the stadium, as well as new infrastructure and property tax revenue wold be a boon for our economy. On the other hand, losing a world class attraction, a source of city pride, jobs and more jobs, in addition to the incalculable future investment and revenue opportunities that come from being a host city, would be a shameful embarrassment. World class cities need world class attractions. Support the A's term sheet with a yes vote. We are counting on you—get it done!
My wife and I have lived in Oakland over 40 years. We own a home, I base my business here, and my wife worked in Oakland as a CalEPA scientist, until this year's retirement. We love and support this city. We are thrilled that Oakland has this remarkable opportunity.
The Howard Terminal site is really quite barren, and in great need of remediation. The A’s interest does not reach the Port activities; they will not interfere with the Port. There is very little housing near the proposed development, mostly one-story warehouses and storage yards. Pollution has never really been addressed, and is ongoing. No one has offered to address the great and burgeoning difficulties this stunning area is facing, except the Oakland A's.
The last major interest in this district was someone wishing to ship Utah coal by rail through it and all of Oakland, to put on ships bound for China. Presently, the area has a parking lot, covering up patch of polluted ground, where trucks sit while waiting to make deliveries. The rent on this lot yields only $79K annually to the city of Oakland.
The A’s instituted a lawsuit that has gotten State of CA’s attention to the pollution and the major polluters in this area, finally. Thank you, A’s.
Jack London Square, pretty as it is, has always been under-realized and visited. This development will truly fulfill what Oakland has always wished for Jack London Square. We so look forward to the Oakland A’s truly gorgeous efforts.
Lary Heath & Rachel Broadwin
I am an environmental consulting who writes CEQA environmental documents and specializes in public outreach. I am very concerned about the impact that the proposed project will have on the residents of Chinatown. The environmental review and outreach process has failed to take their concerns into account, and there will be significant and unavoidable impacts, especially with regards to traffic and air quality. There needs to be stronger mitigation and avoidance measures and outreach to residents living near the project. Beyond CEQA, this is an environmental justice issue for an already marginalized community.
I am the 6th generation in my family born and raised in Oakland. Oakland is my home and it is the city I hope to one day raise my children. As much of a die-hard Oakland A’s fan that I am, I am also as much an Oaklander at heart.
I would never support a project that would hurt Oakland, and that is why I am in extreme support of the Oakland A’s Howard Terminal Ballpark project. This project is much, much more than a ballpark. It is a once in a lifetime project that will change this city and show the world how amazing of a city Oakland is. Since the beginning of the summer, I have traveled to several different ballparks including Camden Yards Oracle Park which have completely changed the downtown feel of those cities. I am sick and tired of seeing San Francisco getting all of Bay Area attention and Oakland getting nothing.
One of the most famous baseball quotes off all time is “If you build it, they will come”. If the city approves the A’s project, the entire Bay Area will come. Are we really going to walk away from a $12 billion investment into the waterfront and $400 million in community benefits? This project doesn’t fix all of Oakland’s problems, but it fixes a ton. Howard Terminal is 2% of the Port of Oakland and has not been used since 2013. Plus, do we really want to be known as the city that lost three professional sports teams in three years? Nothing good will come out of that.
Please, please vote yes on the A’s Howard Terminal Project. Do not be afraid.
I am a fan of Oakland and the A's. My great-grandfather opened the Howard Terminal in 1900, and I eventually worked there for a short time in the 1970's with my grandfather, Charles P. Howard, my father, and my two uncles. The docks and waterfront were a somewhat dangerous area, and the Howards welcomed the Jack London Square development. As cargo ships grew in size, and being one of the last privately owned shipping docks on the west coast, my family began looking toward the future with the idea of renovating the old brick warehouses at the terminal for artisans and craftsman to work and sell their creations. Alas, the Port of Oakland had other plans and we moved on. The new ballpark development will not only keep the A's in Oakland, but create much needed housing, parks, and allow restaurants, shops, and other businesses a waterfront venue in which to flourish. It will be a tourist attraction for locals and people from around the world alike. I hope the citizens and city council support and welcome the new ballpark with open arms. Go A's, Go Oakland!