Fans, county supervisors hope to find future for Oakland Coliseum
OAKLAND - Yesterday, Nevada's governor signed a bill that would provide 380 million dollars in public funding for a new stadium in Las Vegas. There are just a few hurdles left to clear before the exodus of the Oakland A's is official.
That means the city of Oakland will likely have to figure out what to do with all that vacant land at the coliseum site. Our Jose Martinez has a look at the possible plan -- and what fans are hoping to see.
Dale Tafoya has been a devoted supporter of the Oakland A's his entire life. The recent news of the team potentially leaving the city has left him and many other Bay Area residents contemplating the future of the iconic Oakland Coliseum.
"It's crazy. I was born in 1971. I'm 51 years old. The A's have been in Oakland all my life, so I'm still starting to digest it slowly... it's kind of surreal, the future," said Tafoya.
Growing up in San Leandro, Dale fondly remembers riding the BART train and crossing the coliseum's winding concrete bridge. Reflecting on those times, he expresses his desire to see the area be put to use if the space becomes available.
"I used to take BART to the Oakland Coliseum when I was a kid. I used to live in San Leandro. I would love to see that area rejuvenated with retail, housing, or other sports events because fans love their sports here," shared Tafoya.
Alameda County supervisor Nate Miley is determined to bring new life into the historic venue, and ensure it remains a vibrant part of the community.
"We're still looking to pursue a WNBA team; we're working on soccer to be there at the Coliseum, so there's several sports opportunities that we can put in place at the Coliseum," said Miley.
However, Supervisor Miley acknowledges that these plans may take at least another year to materialize, if not more.
"The A's have a contract, a license agreement to play at the Coliseum till the end of 2024, so we need to determine whether the A's want to continue to stay or if they want to leave early, or if they're going to stay here while the facility in Vegas is built after 2024. All of those are questions, and it isn't just up to the A's. The Joint Powers Authority, the county, and the city would also have a word in this," explained Supervisor Miley.
Miley says that, for now, efforts will continue to be led by the African American Sports and Entertainment Group, using the insight of fans like Tafoya.
"I would love for the legislature to bring other franchise owner to consider that Coliseum site for other great sports to create memories that can take place in Oakland," said Tafoya.
Supervisor Miley added that the journey to reinvent the Oakland Coliseum is just beginning. The Board of Supervisors is having monthly public meetings with the community to get a sense of what they want to see in the space.