OAKLAND, California – Athletes continue on “parallel paths” planning new stands in Oakland and Las Vegas, determined to find the best fit and move if the club can’t secure what it wants in the middle of Howard Howard Terminal in front of the promenade.
Team president Dave Kaval plans another trip to Las Vegas soon, traveling there every couple of weeks, he said, to assess options for this potential venue. He spoke on the field Friday before the AA hosted the San Francisco Giants in the Bay Bridge Series at the Coliseum, a place he still insists is not right for baseball in the future.
“I think we’ve been very clear, I think the league has been very clear that this place doesn’t fit the 21st century view of baseball in North America,” Kaval said. “You need an urban location in the center to be successful, especially in a two-team market where you have the giants in a stadium similar to the boardwalk, and we will do our best to have a stadium that can be at the level or eclipse what they have in Oracle Park in San Francisco. And we have that vision at Howard Terminal. “
On July 20, Oakland City Council approved the prerequisites for a $ 12 billion waterfront ballpark project. However, the A’s were not satisfied with this proposal.
“We remain separate in economic terms,” Kaval said, currently focusing on the environmental review process and maintaining that progress.
In May, Major League Baseball instructed Oakland Brass to explore transfer options if no ball deal could be reached.
“We are still disappointed that we did not vote on our plan, so that has not changed,” Kaval said. “Similarly, we still hope to move forward in negotiations with them. But time will tell how this works. We are still working on all the other processes and we hope we finish. We are doing everything we can to make this happen on an acceptable timetable for in the league “.
The earliest possible scenario that Kaval envisions a vote by the city is “by the end of this year”.
The A’s are the last professional franchise left in Oakland after the NBA Golden State Warriors moved to San Francisco and the NFL Raiders to Las Vegas.
The team’s project plan envisions a $ 35 billion private-funded dance park at Howard Terminal, 3,000 residential units, offices and commercial space, hotel rooms and an indoor interpretation center.
A’s lease on the old Coliseum extends until 2024. MLB has said rebuilding at the current location is not a viable option.