Big Win for Oakland A’s Ballpark Plans

There’s still a long way to go, but Bay Area Council member Oakland A’s reached an important milestone this week (Feb. 17) in their plans to build a new ballpark and waterfront development at Howard Terminal. The Oakland City Council certified the environmental impact report for the project, allowing the A’s and the city of Oakland to continue negotiations on the overall details of the plans. The Bay Area Council has been a staunch supporter of this visionary project and testified Thursday in support of certifying the EIR. A’s President and Council Executive Committee member Dave Kaval was thrilled.

“We’ve never been this far in terms of making our vision for the waterfront ballpark for the A’s a reality,” Kaval told the San Francisco Chronicle. “There is still a lot of work to be done. This is an important accomplishment and an important milestone to reach.”

The team wants to build a 35,000-seat waterfront ballpark, 3,000 units of housing, 1.5 million square feet of offices, 270,000 square feet of retail space, a 3,500-person performance venue, up to 400 hotel rooms and 8,900 parking spaces. If approved, the project would be one of the largest developments in state history and would transform the area around Jack London Square. Research by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute found that the plan would generate $7.3 billion in economic activity and create more than 6,100 permanent jobs.

Featured image courtesy of the Oakland A’s.