Yesterday, the Athletics announced their initial plans for a long-awaited new ballpark. Set in Oakland’s Howard Terminal, the proposed new facility would represent a marked departure from standard stadium design.
Renderings and other information are available here. They show a waterfront facility that might be described as baseball’s version of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. A fan-accessible, greenscaped ring (the club calls it an “elevated park”) surrounds a much tamer inner stadium that’s notable mostly for its ample provision of standing room and snug, 34k-seat capacity.
There’s more to this than the architecture, of course. The proposal, like most other ballpark projects we’ve seen of late, would include plans for mixed-use development featuring “housing, including affordable housing, offices, retail, small business space and restaurants, hotels, public gathering spaces, and parks.” Transportation challenges could be met in part by a gondola system connecting to downtown Oakland, which certainly sounds like a unique new way to get to a ballgame.
As with the Rays, the other MLB organization that realistically lacks a contemporary stadium and has recently proposed a striking new facility, public handouts will not completely carry this project through. In this case, while the A’s will surely seek public support in a variety of ways — acquiring rights to the site, to take but one notable example — the club says it will fully finance the ballpark construction through private means.
Needless to say, it’s quite an ambitious overall undertaking that will take some time to pull off. The team says it hopes to break ground in 2021 and open the ballpark in time for the 2023 season. For a perennially underfunded A’s club, there’s a lot at stake. As the organization itself claims on the stadium website, getting the new facility up is necessary to “retain our players and build a more competitive team.”
Did you misspell Athletics?
I prefer to think of it as a typo, but yes.
but hasn’t hit much in the big leagues. In 614 career plate appearances, he’s slashing just .281/.310/.375 with four home runs and four steals.
I think the Chefs will want to play some games there as well.
This is how I spell this teams name from now on, Athlletics
no really, thanks for the article and the links, the description is VERY on target.
Where do you park?
Gotta get on the gondola. It will be like going to The Magic Kingdom.
There will be parking on-site as well as a number of parking garages in the Jack London area
“For a nominal fee of $60 there will be limited on site parking”.
lol that sounds like standard parking for any baseball game across the us i.e. parking near busch marks up like 5x during games
I hope that second plan doesn’t work out, what a sad looking ballpark.
The second picture is a plan at the current site which would be a community park for Oakland. It would not be a place where the A’s play MLB games
Thank you for creating that up for me, I was about to feel really bad for A’s fans
Funny enough I kind of liked that design. Simple. No reason ballparks have to be Disney Land.
Fans appreciate a nice stadium trust me
Speaking of pictures, in one of them a few fans are standing up and cheering intensely as the batter waits for the pitch. They seem extraordinarily excited by that new ballpark!
You can say that again, the playing field just looks like a hole in the ground, you would have to walk a mile to get food and drinks.
They need a park…10 years ago. I have been to most major league parks…..this one is the worst!!!
I went several years ago, prob 2010 or 2011, and I agree. It was terrible then.
It has to be the worst place in the US to watch a sporting event. The fact the sewer pipes annually backup and raw sewage spills out onto everything automatically makes it dump #1.
Sounds more like dump #2.
I don’t get why this guy is getting a lot of crap for this…
You gotta love the smell of excrement in the morning.
…napalm is probably a bit more palatable to the nostrils I’m afraid.
Excrement is what I get a whiff of every time I see your name pop up in the comments section.
So you do have sh$t for brains after all, because names don’t “pop up”!
Happened 1 time 5 years ago. A few gallons of sewage spewed into a dugout. Do some homework.
It happened twice but of course the trolls come out here because their home gets the over flow.
Doesn’t more than once make it a problem?
After being at all 30 parks, Tampa, Oakland, Toronto, and Angels…all parks that are not good. Angels maybe the best of this bunch, but all they did was polish a turd.
WSox not far off either.
It’s shocking that the ChiSox passed on the plans for Camden Yards to build what they have now. It was the beauty and the utility of Camden and of the Jake that led to almost every team in baseball ripping down their stadiums.
Disagree whole-heartedly. It’s 1/10th the price to watch the same sport here as it is across the bay, and often a better team.
Yes, it has some flaws, (bathtub style urinals and overcrowded corridors, lines, and transit when attendance is up) but I don’t need a waiter and a martini when I go to a ballgame. You can drink beers in the parking lot, bring food into the stadium, and be with (a small amount) of real baseball fans who love the team and the game.
RIP Coliseum
Alvaro, those trough urinals are wonderful. Do they still have them at Wrigley?
I agree. I love the Coliseum. So many great games there over the years, and it’s the best deal in MLB as far as costs go. Despite its expanse it can also be quite intimate on a Monday night in May haha
It’s amazing how A’s fans find a way to shoehorn in a dig at the Giants in a post that has nothing to do with them. Little brother syndrome has no cure.
The Giants are some “big brother.” They don’t have as many WS victories as the A’s do, and if it wasn’t for 3 in the last 8, it wouldn’t be even close…
Amen BlahBlahBlah!
Bunch of dang crybabies
Don’t blame the Giants just because your ownership doesn’t want to put any profits back into the team…they’re all making a profit, some owners just decide not to keep it all for themselves!
Blame your owners for your lack of a decent stadium and your small fanbase, or keep supporting the guys that refuse to make the team and it’s situation better, but stop acting like it makes you better fans.
Yeah! And if not for reality, I’d be king!
A’s fans seriously need to look at their own team now and again for reasons that they’re so obsessed with the Giants. It’s cuz the Giants owners actually care about the team and fans (even if it’s only for the fact that they’ll make more money in the long run by doing so)
Should be mad at your owners, but instead you can’t get over the fact that the Giants have 3 rings from this decade. The A’s might have one too if their owners weren’t intent on putting as little back into the team as possible.
But be mad at the Giants instead, that makes wayyyyy more sense
The A’s greatest accomplishment in the last decade is selling out a game that was half full of the other teams fans.
You knew as soon as it was announced the A’s were being phased completely out of revenue sharing, this was coming.
I knew as soon as the Raiders were leaving again; either the A’s would get a new baseball only ballpark, or they’d be moving too.
Hilarious ! How many pictures have they shown in the past? No money=no stadium.
Those container cranes in the background are a nice touch.
Best place for a new stadium is in another state.
How about Vegas? Than you can trade with the Giants for Harper and Machado.
Machado isn’t going to SF
So you’re saying Harper is?
I don’t know he makes sense there though. Machado doesn’t make sense at all.
JDGoat took you a bit seriously. My apologies on behalf of Canada.
This was a sharp jab at the two Giants fans on here that swear Harper is a given, and Machado a possibility.
Aha Trim
Most Giants fans I know don’t want either of those petulant children.
I’d rather lose than have those jag offs representing my team
Very skeptical this will happen. The city of Oakland won’t give them money, their owner is notoriously cheap, I don’t think the logistics have been well thought out. I see a lot of open space that could be utilized better. How are people are going to get there? Sure there is a ferry but how far is BART? From eyeballing it there will need to be a seroius assessment on how this is going to affect traffic and I can see insane parking issues. The stadium is so far from any roads that it will take over a half-hour at minimum to walk to the game from any nearby parking lot.
I’m rooting for these guys. I think a new park is years overdue, and the Colosseum is a concrete pit. I just feel like it’s been a revolving door of attempts to get Oakland to play ball and getting rejected. It was only a year ago they were going ahead with a plan near some college and it got kicked back.
There will be parking on-site
Where? I don’t see it anywhere in this plan.
He must be a wannabe city planner.
So you’re an urban planner?
Nope, just an somewhat-intelligent person who can see the issues due to the past dealings with Oakland government, what’s in front of me in the plans they have released, and regurgitating the exact same hurdles these guys have had trying to get a stadium anywhere near downtown Oakland. They never consider parking or public transportation and it constantly gets rejected.
Might be an appropriate time to help give some clarity to the proposal. The Fishers own the A’s. They are one of the most wealthy families in the USA, with a net worth that well-exceeds a billion. But like most wealthy owners, they aren’t using their pro sports franchise as a philanthropic release. They have been in the bottom quarter of salary spending over the last several years, hence the reason why the team needs to change their financial outlook.
That being said, the A’s have committed to privately finance the ballpark. In today’s environment, that should be applauded. Yes, there are also infrastructure costs and those costs will need to be worked out. However, this major impediment is lifted vs. Tampa where the responsibility as to who will pay for a new stadium has the plan stuck in quicksand.
Re transportation. There is parking nearby. BART is about 3/4th of a mile away and within 1 mile the A’s have pointed out that there are 10K parking spots. I would anticipate that when it’s built, the A’s will have also put in bus service from BART and other modes of transport..
Finally, for those that live in the Bay Area and follow the team this FEELS different. Why? Firstly, the A’s have finally made an enormous push to line up all major players to go in the same direction. That includes the Port Authority (who own the stadium property now), the Mayor, the County and the community at large. As of today, there’s yet to be community push back. Actually, the contrary is true. The citizens of Oakland overwhelmingly favor this proposal and keeping the A’s in Oakland. The fact that the A’s will be the only pro sports team in the East Bay isn’t lost on anybody.
Does this guarantee success? No… However, I firmly believe this is the strongest proposal that the A’s have put together and there’s political will to get something across the line that lacked in previous proposals.
The stadium looks beautiful, and I love the idea that they aren’t going to soak taxpayers to pay for a private entity. (Although I assume, in the end, if this stadium is built, some public money will be involved). The A’s are such a unique team – an example of how advanced analytics, peerless scouting and a great manager and front office can overcome a tiny payroll to stay consistently competitive. The development of Matt Chapman from glove-first guy to top-10 MVP candidate and Khris Davis – a guy nobody wanted a few years ago – into one of the best and most consistent power hitters in recent history. (Oakland traded a guy named Bubba Derby for Davis). They deserve a great baseball-only stadium. I’ve been to the current stadium, and, yeah, it’s a generic, multi-use 70s stadium with no character at all, and it doesn’t help that the team across the bay has one of the most beautiful stadiums in baseball.
The coliseum was great before mt Davis was put in
I loved getting off bart and being able to walk up and see the game without even buying a ticket
Long time ago now…unfortunately
Las Vegas Athletics. Hmmmm.
Unlike vegas the home owners will not be charged the extra $1000 to watch a sports game. I bet you didn’t know that the Vegas home owners will see about $1000 added to their property tax in the next 10 years.
needs a batter’s eye
It will be retractable
Singing gondoliers, I hope.
20 bucks says it never sees the light of day.
Better yet, 20 bucks says Chapman is wearing a different uniform in 2020.
Hobbit baseball players will love this design though.
I wish i could take you up on that bet like you’re predictions over the last few years. Start of the season you said the A’s would be last place and worst in baseball.
You sound kinda butt hurt about something.
BS
I’m not mad at all, nor am I an A’s hater. I always hope they play well and I like their young core. I just would be shocked if they actually pull this off. I also don’t recall saying they would be the worst team in baseball, but I don’t think anyone was expecting them to be good last year so maybe I did say that.
Was he aiming that at you or I?
As long as the toilets work.
Anyone else notice the banner on the stadium that said “2023 World Series.”
Is this a prediction? Like Back to the Future II?
Aha same. Not a totally unrealistic timetable either.
And the kid wearing a Dave Stewart Jersey.
Is he beloved in Oakland? I guess so, though he’s a laughingstock here.
I’m sorry, I’m confused.
Who’s this guy, Stadium Plans? Was he a free agent?
Previous design(s) have been great. But is this plan going to happen? As confident as some may be, forgive my skepticism.
Oakland needs this. Probably needed it 15 years ago.
Me likey the 35k seat capacity
Nice—Howard’s End Ballpark.
SMH at all the comments. Over the last 10 years they all complain the A’s need a new stadium. When they announce a new stadium they all come here to bash it. So either they are jealous of the A’s or just have some anger issues. the A’s have been working 100% over the last 2 years on a new stadium. This time they have everyone on board unlike last time when Laney college bowed to their neighbors to stop it. So how about give a reason why you are angry about the A’s having anew stadium of just leave and go to a anger management class.
You also sound angry my friend
Hey look the sun is out time to go back under the rock turner.
The organization that cry’s wolf!
That’s not what happened with the last proposal.
Peralta Community College District (not Laney college, which is part of the PCCD system) is directed by a notoriously corrupt Board of Trustees (they’re on record as having used PCCD funds for a board retreat to *Tahiti*). The land in question was also not Laney College, but PCCD’s own admin site, which has a bevy of toxic plume issues that will cost (Alameda County taxpayers) over $100M to clean up and is pretty decrepit.
PCCD’s Trustees asked the A’s for millions to “explore the proposal”, and the A’s agreed, but asked for oversight of the expenditures…
… and that’s when everything came to a screaming halt with 48 hours.
PCCD Trustees tried to get bribed and panicked when they realized they’d have to open their books.
Seriously, if this wasn’t an every other year event for the A’s maybe arc98 could talk, but come on…this has been the same story over and over again
I hope they do get a nice new stadium, but their owners are complete garbage humans that can’t be trusted
garbage humans are the SF owner Johnson that gives money to a racist. 1 this is only the second time .because when they picked the college area the neighbors went crazy. . Wolfe who was to fixed on san jose that is why he is gone. Once Wolfe was out they put together a package for Oakland.
I was hoping they’d move to Portland
Portland is still working out the details on their artisan small batch stadium that seats 50 and 50 dogs. Fred Armisen will “release” the first pitch on Opening Day…”throwing” insinuates physical aggression…and won’t go well with their “reimagined” lumberjack plaid uniforms.
Wow dude
You crushed this one!
Are you a Portlandia writer? Should be!
The concept for the park that the MLB Instagram page posted looked pretty awesome. Hope they get it
I actually like that one of the renderings has a World Series banner displayed! Good confidence (or at least, good salesmanship)!
It’s probably a long shot(too many hurdles with infrastructure) they get this done. I hope I’m wrong.
The way it juts out into the water like that with all the boats around sure looks problematic to me — not hard to imagine some kind of a disaster occurring there.
San Jose, Fremont, and Oakland have all fallen through before, let’s be realistic. They wont get the funding in Oakland and will playing in Portland by 2022! Should see the design of that stadium by the end of the week.
The concepts are really neat. Love the ambition.
However, the A’s could just remove the seats that no one sits in in CF to get that nice view back
(When I mentioned the removal of the seats in CF, I am talking about the Coliseum, not the new stadium concept)
But then they’re in a dump with a view.
True, but then again they’ll be in a dump as long as theyre in Oakland.
Boom!
Ya, and the Raiders were going to get a new stadium too..
Las Vegas Athletics, anyone?
Interesting that they released this on the day the Portland Diamond Project reported they have agreed to build on the waterfront and also had stadium photos released…
According to this article, everything is still in the HOPE stage, just as it’s been for 10 or whatever years building a new park has been being discussed, only now they have some renderings to appease fans until the next snag to the HOPE occurs. 2021, and 2023 are a long way away. This crop of very good players will be gone; this cycle of success could be well in the past, as what happened after the last cycle of success, from 2012. There’s no sense in excitement because the A’s put out some pics and PR promos. I’m 67 y.o., I only hope the A’s and I are still around long enough for this seemingly GOD forsaken park project to materialize, and be a ballpark for fans and team players to be proud to call “Home of the Oakland Athletics!” Putting the new ballpark hype back in the box again, until I see concrete and mortar reality.
34,000 seats is no good — needs to be 42-45 ,000 seats — when the stadium is small tickets prices are high