SCOTT OSTLER
A new stadium romance, but don’t make wedding plans yet
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, in characterizing the status of the negotiations between the A’s and the city over land for a new ballpark, went romantic.
The mayor was sitting next to A’s President Dave Kaval at Wednesday’s news conference at team headquarters, called to give an update on a proposed stadium at the Howard Terminal site.
She touched Kaval on the shoulder and said, “It’s like we’re dating exclusively. We’re not looking anywhere else, but we’re in a courtship right now. And so that’s the period under which we have to develop the details of a potential, actual development.”
The way the A’s sold the news conference, I was expecting a deal to be announced. Instead, it turns out that the A’s and Oakland, romantically speaking, haven’t gotten past first base. So don’t look for a birth announcement soon. The A’s did unveil artist renderings of a ballpark at Howard Terminal, on the Oakland waterfront. Also displayed: gorgeous portraits of a fantastic makeover of the Coliseum site into a
mixed-use civic treasure.
But no deal. Wednesday’s event wasn’t a news-breaker, it was a pep rally.
In fact, the big picture became muddier with the addition of the Coliseum plans.
Look, I hate to be Debbie Downer on this. Selfishly, I am rooting for the A’s to stay in Oakland and build a ballpark, soon. I have nightmares of dying in the Coliseum’s ancient press-box elevator.
But we’re a long ways from a deal, fans, let alone a ballpark. And this whole thing has more moving parts than I do falling off a skateboard. Follow the bouncing ball: The A’s had been in the process of choosing between the Coliseum and Howard Terminal for their ballpark. On Wednesday, they announced they are gung-ho on Howard. But before they can build there, they have to buy or lease the terminal land, then they must buy or lease the Coliseum site so they can develop that area and use those profits to build the ballpark.
The A’s seem to be saying to Oakland: If you make us a sweet deal on the Terminal and on the Coliseum, we will turn both major eyesores into civic treasures.
For the A’s, it’s either two deals or none. Because it’s a double deal, everything is quadruply complicated.
For one thing, the city can’t sell or lease the Coliseum site until it buys out the county. Schaaf said Wednesday that significant progress has been made on that front, and that the city now has the ability to make that buy.
One thing I don’t question is that everyone — the A’s, the city, the county, the Port — wants to get this done. Hovering over the gaiety and optimism of Wednesday’s event was a cloud of desperation.
Kaval, if he can pull off this feat, will become a hero, maybe even a legend. Schaaf calls him a “fierce visionary.” But if he fails, he will wind up known for bringing back the Coliseum’s upper deck. The A’s options for moving to other cities are limited or nonexistent. Rooted in Oakland? More like stuck in Oakland. If they don’t strike a ballpark deal soon, it will be panic time for everyone.
Schaaf, recently re-elected, really would like to avoid going down in history as the mayor who waved goodbye to three pro sports teams. But she has a chance to usher in a huge new era of development and revitalization for the city in which she grew up.
The other politicians and business people involved also stand to lose or win in a major way. Not much in-between for anyone.
With so much at stake, this all seems less like an exciting young romance and more like a grimy, smoky poker game.
There was a lot of hope and promise in the air at A’s HQ on Wednesday. The artist renderings of the ballpark and the Coliseum development were stunning. The A’s talk about their ballpark creating new jobs, and apparently it already has created many new jobs for artists.
Whether these beautiful pictures spring to life, or become a dusty exhibit in the cavernous Bay Area Museum of Failed Ballpark Plans, remains to be seen.
The proposed ballpark, created by the firm Bjarke Ingels (at Ikea, that’s a bookcase with a foldout bed), will be old yet new, with a million creative touches. Access to the ballpark will be a challenge, but Kaval says much thought has been given to “ingress and egress.” He used that phrase so often, I suspect those might become the A’s new mascots.
Schaaf said of the ballpark, “This is the right project in the right neighborhood and at the right price to our taxpayers.” But neither Schaaf nor Kaval could or would produce a price on anything.
Because there was no deal to announce, what was the big deal Wednesday?
“The fact that we’ve been able to get everyone up to the table,” Schaaf said. “This is really a gorgeous starting line.”
A budding romance. No wedding plans yet, but if you’re thinking ahead, they can always use a new gondola car.