OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland Athletics have found a location for their modern new ballpark, announcing plans Wednesday to build near Jack London Square along the water.
Team president Dave Kaval had hoped to finalize a site by the end of the year, and the A’s settled on the Howard Terminal site. The team’s new downtown offices will have a view of the project, including from Kaval’s large corner window.
💥 here it is: our plan to build a new ballpark at Howard Terminal.https://t.co/vLuiX01aT0#RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/HtI7zEhrfV
— Oakland Athletics 🌳🐘⚾️ (@Athletics) November 28, 2018
“We are excited to build a bold, iconic ballpark at Howard Terminal. This design will allow us to blur the boundaries of a traditional ballpark and integrate into the surrounding neighborhood.” – @DaveKaval https://t.co/vLuiX01aT0#RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/g46FK7N2ny
— Oakland Athletics 🌳🐘⚾️ (@Athletics) November 28, 2018
The club, coming off its first playoff berth since 2014, had to switch gears after a proposed plan at Laney College fell through last December.
In addition, the A’s intend to redevelop the site around the aging Oakland Coliseum they have long shared with the NFL’S Oakland Raiders, who plan to move to Las Vegas.
We also plan to pursue a second project to redevelop the Coliseum site. There, we seek to transform the current site in ways that will address several specific community needs and opportunities expressed by East Oakland residents. https://t.co/vLuiX01aT0 #RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/qyAaffvR2F
— Oakland Athletics 🌳🐘⚾️ (@Athletics) November 28, 2018
The new park will be anchored by the two focal points of Oakland sports history: Oracle Arena, repurposed as a concert and cultural events center; and the original Coliseum baseball diamond, preserved to inspire the next generation of ballplayers. https://t.co/vLuiX01aT0 pic.twitter.com/QuYThO6nhG
— Oakland Athletics 🌳🐘⚾️ (@Athletics) November 28, 2018
Kaval said the A’s will build a “bold, iconic ballpark” and the “design will allow us to blur the boundaries of a traditional ballpark and integrate into the surrounding neighborhood.”