A’s team president Dave Kaval breaks down the latest development with the waterfront ballpark at Howard Terminal.
The A’s secured another victory in their efforts to build a new ballpark in Oakland at the Howard Terminal location late Tuesday night, as the Oakland City Council voted 5-2 against putting the project on the November ballot as a public advisory vote. One council member abstained.
A's president Dave Kaval and Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf have maintained that putting the measure on the ballot would significantly delay the proceedings. Schaaf tweeted late Tuesday night to thank the council members who voted “no” on the ballot measure.
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This is the second win for the A’s brass this week, coming off the decisive 23-2 BDCD vote on Tuesday that voted in favor of removing port priority use from the Howard Terminal site.
While there still are many hurdles to clear, this was a good week for the A’s hopes of staying in Oakland as they also pursue potential relocation sites in Las Vegas.
RELATED: Kaval, Schaaf explain significance of latest Howard Terminal vote
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The A’s have a league-worst 28-55 record and have struggled to draw crowds at the Oakland Coliseum all season long. Former A’s star Matt Chapman, now with the Blue Jays, believes the A’s “deserve” a new stadium.
“I think that the A’s should stay in Oakland,” Chapman said this week when the Jays visited the A’s (h/t San Francisco Chronicle). “I’ve seen this place packed before. They have the fans. I think there’s more that goes into it than just getting people in the stands. I think it’s become a little bit — maybe some people aren’t happy with the front office, whatever it is.
“But I hope that they can get a stadium. They deserve a stadium in Oakland. They deserve a nice stadium that people can come and enjoy baseball at. But I think that it’s still not going to be an easy task, so I’m still not sure.”
There is still a long way to go, but the chances of the A’s staying in Oakland certainly seem better now than they were a week ago.