Howard Terminal Steps Up to Bat at Crucial Hearing Next Week

The visionary plan by the Oakland A’s to transform an underutilized cargo terminal at Howard Terminal into a gleaming waterfront development is gearing up for a big hearing next week (June 2) before the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), which regulates development on the shoreline. BCDC will review the preliminary staff recommendation which was in favor of changing the site’s port designation to allow for the development. The Bay Area Council is a strong supporter of the A’s proposal, and urges you to voice your support for the project at the virtual hearing on Thursday, June 2 at 9:30am.

In addition to the ballpark, the development includes desperately needed housing, a brand-new public shoreline park, a hotel and office space, and environmental improvements that will be constructed with good-paying union jobs. This project also makes Oakland very competitive for new federal infrastructure funding to implement safety, mobility, and equity improvements to reconnect Oakland residents with the waterfront.

The Port of Oakland has made it clear that all of this new development will not interfere with their ability to grow cargo operations in the future; and in fact, the Port prefers to grow its operations in more convenient locations on its property. In a recent analysis, the Port concluded that Howard Terminal is “not suitable as a modern cargo terminal,” and that maintaining its designation as a cargo terminal means this “valuable waterfront property will likely languish for decades in minimally productive use with no public access to the shoreline.” To learn more about the project or next Thursday’s hearing, please contact Policy Director Emily Loper.