Agency clears way for Oakland Athletics $12B ballpark plan

On Thursday, a California commission gave the Oakland Athletics the go-ahead to move forward with plans for a $12 billion waterfront ballpark.

The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission voted 23-2 to designate a 56-acre port terminal in Oakland as a mixed-use area where a new ballpark may be built. The vote is the first step in a lengthy legal process that must be completed before the team can begin construction.

Removing a terminal from port usage “would not detract from the region’s capacity to deal with the predicted expansion in cargo,” said the commission’s experts.

After the NBA’s Golden State Warriors and the NFL’s Raiders moved to San Francisco and Las Vegas, respectively, the A’s are the only professional sports team left in Oakland. Some of the city’s 400,000 residents, alarmed by the exodus, pleaded with the commission on Thursday to do more to maintain the team and the employment it brings.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said the approval moved the city closer to bringing “this bold vision into a beautiful reality and keep our A’s rooted in Oakland for generations to come.”