Read the entire column here on the Contra Costa Times website

Ballpark idea not bad looking for A's

By ERIC GILMORE
CONTRA COSTA TIMES COLUMNIST

OAKLAND - New A's owner Lew Wolff already had outlined his vision Friday morning for building a new A's stadium as part of a 90-acre redevelopment project just north of McAfee Coliseum.

Now it was time for what he called the "cartoon side" of his presentation to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority.

Wolff unveiled artist's renderings of an intimate, new retro-meets-high-tech A's ballpark seating between 32,000 and 35,000 fans.

The stadium includes a monstrous video screen beyond the center-field bleachers. Just beyond the left-center wall there's a high-rise building -- it could be either a hotel or condominiums -- with a swimming pool on its roof.

The land around the stadium is filled with restaurants, shops and housing, replacing what now is a grimy section of Oakland, complete with flea market, warehouses and light industry.

"It is a dream, but that's how everything starts," said board of commissioners vice-chair Ignacio De La Fuente, an Oakland city councilman.

Wolff's grand plan, indeed, is still far closer to fantasy than reality.

There are still so many unanswered questions.

Wolff said the A's would cover "the majority of the financial responsibility" for building the stadium. But he also said he's not ready to discuss specific dollars.

Wolff needs to safely traverse a political minefield in a city and county still reeling financially from the deal to bring the Raiders back from Los Angeles.

What's more, not everyone is sold on the site Wolff chose for a proposed new stadium. Some still want a waterfront stadium. Even De La Fuente said he's reserving judgment.

Then there's the matter of acquiring the land for this project from a long list of owners, some who might not want to sell. The thorny issue of eminent domain is bound to come up.

There are more potential roadblocks to Wolff's plan than we have room to list here.

Yet when you listen to this silver-haired man talk calmly and confidently about his vision for a new A's stadium, you can't help but feel he just might pull it off.

Wolff, the team's managing partner, is an experienced real estate developer. He knows how to get deals done. He also has some deep pockets on his side. The A's new majority investor, John Fisher, is the billionaire son of Gap founder Donald Fisher.

"I think we're all going to roll up our sleeves and make this happen," said board chairwoman Gail Steele, an Alameda County supervisor.

Wolff is gently nudging city and county officials in the right direction.

"We need to make this decision of where we're headed within one year of the beginning of this season," Wolff said. "So we're talking in the next few months.

"We're not talking about bulldozers, but we are talking about we've got to start planning and focusing."

Wolff said he hopes to use money from the redevelopment project to help fund the A's stadium. What he won't do is sell personal seat licenses, which contributed to the Raiders' debacle.

Talk about a smart businessman.

Thanks to the A's remarkable turnaround this season, Wolff should have an easier time selling his plan. Everyone loves a winner, even politicians. This young, resilient A's team has captured our attention.

"If we lose the A's, we have no one to blame but ourselves," said board member Larry Reid, an Oakland city council member from the district Wolff has targeted for his project.

"Now it's an opportunity for all of us to step up to the plate, roll up our sleeves and go to work. ... I support this site 110 percent. ... I think it makes a lot of sense. So I'm willing to put my political career on the line to make this a reality."

This is not a sexy site for a new A's ballpark. There's no water. No spectacular views, not even of a downtown skyline.

Then again, there are no splash hits or spectacular views at Fenway Park, one of baseball's most revered stadiums.

Wolff said if he could wave "a magic wand" and get his wish, he'd build a new stadium in downtown Oakland, but there's no site available.

A waterfront site, to him, would be too far away from BART and freeway access.

The 90-acre site north of the Coliseum doesn't look like much now.

It's filled with tire stores, towing companies and warehouses surrounded by screen fences topped with razor wire. Then there's the flea market.

Wolff, though, offered a vision of what this area could become, with a sparkling new A's stadium anchoring a vibrant new neighborhood.

Who knows? He just might make this A's dream a reality.

quote:

"We need to make this decision of where we're headed within one year of the beginning of this season," Wolff said. "So we're talking in the next few months.

"We're not talking about bulldozers, but we are talking about we've got to start planning and focusing."

Posted this column just for this quote...

Pack in for a wait. A year from the beginning of next before we see if the A's are dead in the water. Personally, I see some serious issues...

In one Neil DeMause's (Field of Schemes) updates today, he mentioned how the strategy by many owners (Wilpon, Stienbrenner. and Wolff) is to highlight the fact that the franchise is willing to pick up the tab on the stadium, while leaving the public component on tax breaks/incentives, land, infrastructure and public transportation, vague.

This is surely the case here with Wolff. No details. No figures. Easy for many to get behind early.

As to the park design itself, it's visionary, and I love it.

As with the Twins and the Marlins, the nuts and bolts is where it's difficult. Renderings get the Ooos and Ahs. Funding is hard work.

Obviously, watching this closely, but not seeing this moving one way or the other at this time.

Pull up a seat, and pass the popcorn. It's going to be a while.

I seem to remember a commitment from the A's to work with the city to stay put through February next year but no promises beyond that, not than they will move after February way to close to the season start for that just that they will focusw on Oakland till then.

quote:

Pack in for a wait. A year from the beginning of next before we see if the A's are dead in the water.

I believe Brother dean is right here Maury. It's the beginning of this year (the clock is ticking now and the year is almost half over).

So Mr. Wolff is saying that March 2006 is the go/no go month.

BB

Keep in mind, folks, that this is the deadline for Oakland and the JPA. There will be other options in the East Bay if this doesn't go through. It will then be open season.