Oakland A's Will Remove Third Deck Tarps
(KPIX 5) -- The Oakland Coliseum will feel bigger when the A's play the Houston Astros on April 14. The team plans to remove the green tarps that have covered the entire third deck since 2006.
Originally done to make the Coliseum feel more intimate, the plan to remove the tarps opens up 12,000 additional seats in the higher reaches of the ballpark. The tarps on "Mount Davis" beyond center field will stay.
Tickets in the upper deck will cost $15. During the A's next homestand, half the revenue from the new sales will be donated to Oakland Promise, an initiative designed to increase the number college graduates from Oakland.
The tarps have been a source of frustration for some A's fans over the last decade. New team president Dave Kaval said in a statement the decision to remove the coverings started by listening to the fans.
"On Opening Night we had an attendance of 36,067, with 1,000 of those tickets as standing room only," said Kaval in a press release. "We heard from fans that wanted us to open up additional seats including the upper deck."
The A's average attendance in 2016 was 18,784 -- second worst in Major League Baseball. The Coliseum's new capacity will be 47,170.
