Oakland Business Leaders Move Ahead With Stadium Plans
OAKLAND (KCBS) — Oakland business leaders are moving ahead with plans for a waterfront baseball stadium downtown and they have the support of Oakland Mayor Jean Quan but not necessarily from the Oakland A's.
The A's want out of the Coliseum, one of the oldest baseball parks in the country. Quan said they can build a new stadium near the Coliseum or at Howard Terminal, just west of Jack London Square.
"There are people in the business community who believe this is a good site," she said. "It's really a question for Major League Baseball and the A's too choose."
The business group, which includes Clorox CEO Don Knauss as well as Doug Boxer and former Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream CEO T. Gary Rogers, have commissioned artist renderings for a waterfront stadium.
The A's are being forced to reconsider their stadium options in Oakland after being repeatedly stymied in their bid to move to San Jose.
On Thursday, the city of San Jose moved forward in two different courts with its bid to clear a possible path for the Oakland A's to move to a new baseball stadium in San Jose.
The team had no comment about the Oakland plans except to say that they are waiting for a final ruling from Major League Baseball. But owner Lew Wolff told the Tribune the waterfront site is too far from BART.
"It's exactly the same distances as AT&T Park and I'm assuming that if it goes there, we'll probably develop some kind of shuttle or light rail," Quan said. "As long as the A's stay, I'll be happy. But obviously the downtown site would probably generate more overall business and revenues for the city because there so many restaurants and hotels down there that would benefit."