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A's parking plan nears completion
Wolff tells Newark business leaders team can 'handle the traffic'

By Matthew Artz, STAFF WRITER
Article Last Updated: 01/24/2007 09:01:19 AM PST

SAN JOSE "” The Oakland A's are nearing completion on a traffic and parking plan for their proposed stadium in Fremont that could be presented privately to city officials in a few weeks.

A's co-owner Lew Wolff wouldn't offer details of the plan during a luncheon with San Jose business leaders Tuesday, but assured them that "there are ways to handle the traffic."

Wolff pitched the A's as a future economic pillar of the Silicon Valley.

The team, he said, would "add value to the economic base and further identify Silicon Valley as a specific place to be instead of having people believe it's in downtown San Francisco."

It remains to be seen whether San Jose's business elite will embrace a team playing just south of Fremont's Auto Mall Parkway.

Tuesday's lunch, sponsored by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, drew about 75 people, including state Sen. Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro, and Newark Councilwoman Ana Apodaca.

However, many of San Jose's top executives were upstairs at a Chamber of Commerce meeting, also at San Jose's Fairmont Hotel.

Wolff downplayed the importance of mining Silicon Valley companies to buy up season tickets at the planned 32,000-seat stadium. He said the team wouldn't be dependent on luxury boxes and would still rely on drawing kids and families.

"We weren't soliciting box seats or anything like that today," Wolff said after the meeting.

As for getting people to and from the ballpark, Wolff wasn't worried that the nearest BART station stands four miles away. The majority of A's fans, he said, drive to the team's current home in Oakland, even though it is adjacent to BART.

"If BART was as effective as we thought they would be, the parking lots wouldn't be as crowded," he said.

Wolff "” who now controls about 170 acres in the area, including the proposed stadium site "” said it is too early for the team to settle on parking fees.

The team had a special pitch for business leaders who happen to be A's fans. The best chance they have to keep young talents such as Rich Harden and Bobby Crosby in green and gold is by supporting the club in Fremont.

"Will we be able to retain homegrown talent when it makes sense?" team president Mike Crowley asked. "That is our hope, absolutely."


Staff writer Matthew Artz can be reached at

(510) 353-7003 or martz@angnewspapers.com.