After months of back-and-forth negotiations with Alameda County, Oakland officials proposed spending a complete of $20 million to purchase the county's ownership interest in two notable East Bay properties — each related to skilled sports.
For years, town and county have co-owned the Raiders' former practice facility, which houses a track and field facility and a number of other soccer fields in Alameda, in addition to the Malibu property, an enormous car parking zone next to the Coliseum in East Oakland.
Both sides agree that this arrangement has often been awkward, particularly when negotiating with sports franchises that wish to use one in all the sites – most recently Oakland Roots SC, a well-liked lower league soccer club.
Now town is proposing to purchase the county's half-ownership share of the old Raiders site for $12 million and the identical share of the Malibu property for $8.7 million. The takeover plans will probably be presented to town council on April thirtieth.
The exact details of the sale have yet to be worked out, but when successful, it might keep the fast-growing Roots franchise — plus an accompanying women's team, the Soul — anchored in and around Oakland.
The proposed move comes as disillusioned fans still feel the sting of the A's heading to Sacramento on the approach to Las Vegas, signaling the top of major skilled sports in Oakland.
The Roots currently train on the old Raiders facility at 1150 Harbor Bay Parkway in Alameda. Earlier this yr, San Francisco real estate firm Prologis offered to purchase your complete 16-acre property for $24 million and lease it to each the Roots and Soul, which had their inaugural seasons last yr.
The Roots and Soul also hope to construct a brief, 10,000-seat modular stadium on the 8.8-acre Malibu property. While it's being built, teams will play nearby next yr within the concrete stadium that houses the departing A's. It marks the Roots' return to Oakland after two years in Hayward.
“We look forward to seeing this completed as quickly as possible,” team president Lindsay Barenz said in an announcement to this news organization supporting town’s acquisition of the properties.
The path so far involved a series of convoluted twists and turns, highlighting the issue of two different governments owning real estate together.
Months of negotiations between the 2 corporations and the Roots resulted within the agencies disagreeing on how much the sites were price.
The city also rejected previous offers from the county to easily swap the properties, which might have left the Malibu property within the county's hands while town owned the Raiders site.
“I guess when it was originally set up there were benefits and perks,” Supervisor Nate Miley, chairman of the county board, said in an interview. “I feel over the past 20 or 30 years it has develop into clear that the negotiations between each corporations haven’t served the general public thoroughly.
Discussions over a resolution seemed to be stalled Tuesday at a gathering of county supervisors until Leigh Hanson, chief of staff to Mayor Sheng Thao, suggested that town buy each of the county's shares outright. The supervisors were mostly open-minded.
Oakland is counting on proceeds from the sale of the Raiders' property to assist offset a historic budget deficit that threatens city officials with drastic cuts – possibly even layoffs.
Perhaps essentially the most complicated real estate partnership between Oakland and Alameda County is their shared share of the Coliseum property, which incorporates the stadium, the sector and the massive car parking zone in between.
The county sold its share of the complex to the A's in 2019 for $85 million, while town recently entered exclusive negotiations with a development group to sell its share for $115 million.
That company, African-American Sports and Entertainment Group, is currently negotiating with the A's to purchase back their ownership shares. Officials on each side of those talks declined to comment on the small print, citing a confidentiality agreement.
Both city and county officials have supported an agreement on this front. Miley suggested it might alleviate among the public's “resentment” toward the baseball franchise leaving Oakland next yr.
The minor league roots, meanwhile, are participating within the US Open Cup, a historic tournament wherein each major and minor teams participate.
After defeating El Farolito Soccer Club, a San Francisco team owned by the favored Bay Area burrito chain of the identical name, the Roots' next opponent will probably be the San Jose Earthquakes — the key league team — on May 7. Franchise owned by none apart from John Fisher, who also owns the A's.
“Even if we don't get a win, a mere shout of 'F—John Fisher' or 'Sell the team' would be enough,” said Jorge Leon, an A's superfan who led fan activism efforts to secure the team's move impede . “But a 'dub' can be icing on the cake; it might be great.”
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