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'Let's plan for A's move,' Coliseum agency told

By Chris Metinko
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

OAKLAND - While talks will soon get underway to extend the Oakland Athletics' lease at McAfee Coliseum, one Oakland city councilman says it's time to plan a future without the A's.

"I think there is something we are not being real about," Councilman Larry Reid said this morning at a meeting of the agency that runs the coliseum. "I think we need to plan and plan now for the A's leaving."

Reid, who sits on the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority board, has said before he thinks the A's leaving Oakland is a real possibility due to a lack of support for building the A's a new ballpark with public money.

Reid's comments as the board voted to start discussions with the A's to extend the team's Coliseum lease at the. Under the team's current deal, last extended in 2002, the A's are locked into the Coliseum through 2007. After that, the team has three one-year options through 2010.

A new extension would add another three option years to the contract, carrying the deal through 2013. It also might guarantee the remaining option years -- through 2010 -- on the current deal, though that still has to be worked out.

"We should do what we can to make sure they are here as long as possible," said Sherman Balch, a Coliseum authority member.

The extension could secure the team's future in Oakland for at least a couple more years. It's believed the team is in the final stages of negotiating to build a ballpark in Fremont on 143-acres . Team co-owner Lew Wolff said in March he was broadening the search for a stadium site outside of Oakland because the city didn't have the land available to build a development that would include housing and retail. Also, any deal in Oakland likely would have to include public money, which county and city officials have not supported.

Jim Young, an A's spokesman, said while the A's had no comment on specific details of a lease extension, the team is looking forward to starting the talks.

"We think both sides are interested in getting something done," Young said. "We would like to have an agreement in place while we continue to look at our options for a new ballpark."