It’s far from a done deal, but odds that the Athletics stay in Oakland are far better right now than they looked a week ago.
The A’s cleared another hurdle on Tuesday night, after the Oakland City Council voted 5-2 against putting the Howard Terminal stadium project on the November ballot. A’s president Dave Kaval and Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf have said that putting the project up to a public vote would significantly delay the proceedings.
This is the second win in a row for the Athletics after last week’s vote that saw the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission remove port priority use from the Howard Terminal site. The vote passed 23-2 in favor.
All of this means an easier path forward for the A’s to stay in Oakland amidst rumors that the team will move to Las Vegas should they face any significant roadblocks to their stadium project.
The A’s current plan is to build a 34,000 seat ballpark at the Howard Terminal site. The ballpark, which the A’s say will be privately financed, is intended to create a new waterfront district with a mixture of real estate, including affordable housing, offices, restaurants, retail, small business space, parks, and public gathering spaces.
