The Oakland Athletics have received permission to build their new stadium. The process of the build is going to take quite some time though, the new stadium won’t be ready until at least 2023.
The Port of Oakland commissioners agreed on May 13th, 2019 to give the Oakland Athletics four years to prepare an environmental impact report, which needs to detail what the team wish to do with the potential building site at Howard Terminal.
The proposed plans are still yet to be approved by the state and the City Council. The team also need to secure the purchase of the land, which includes 55-acres of waterfront property.
The Howard Terminal has not been used by a cargo vessel since 2013.
What Will the Stadium Look Like?
The A’s have proposed that the stadium will be a quaint stadium along the bay, which will be complete with 35,000 seats. So the stadium isn’t the biggest but the team have also proposed that it will include a housing and retail development, which will be near Jack London Square.
The new site is six miles from the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, the current home of the Oakland Athletics and the Oakland Raiders. Coincidentally, the Oakland Coliseum is the only remaining stadium in the US that doubles up as a stadium for MLB and NFL.
The NFL Oakland Raiders are set to move to Las Vegas in 2020. Whilst construction on the Oakland Athletics’ stadium is set to begin in 2021.
Plans for the new home of the Oakland Athletics are still yet to be designed and confirmed by the team. However, if the project gets the go-ahead the team will get a 66 year lease of the land, which will cost them around $3.8 million each year for the first 20 years.
Why Will it Take So Long to Build?
As of yet, the stadium is still yet to be agreed upon. The initial proposal has suffered some criticism and opposition from local businesses and workers in the Port of Oakland area.
Some people think that the stadium will harm the city’s industrial economy. Which is why the team need to supply an environmental impact report.
Libby Schaaf, Oakland’s Mayor, has shown support towards the proposal and supports the site as the home of a future ballpark, stating that it is possible to have a top stadium and a seaport.
Libby Schaaf wrote on Twitter “Today’s vote by @PortofOakland is a historic moment for #Oakland. I wholeheartedly support a privately financed ballpark that keeps our @Athletics rooted in Oakland.”
Alongside awaiting agreements and drawing up further proposals and reports, the construction is estimated to take around two years to build.
The construction of Major League Baseball stadiums can be a very lengthy process and can take anywhere from between 18 months to three years to complete. It all depends on how smoothly the construction is, i.e. if there are any poor weather conditions or unexpected construction issues. (Source: toolswizard.com.au).
