A's Reach 10-Year Lease Deal To Stay At Coliseum
OAKLAND (AP) — Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff said Wednesday that the club has reached a 10-year lease agreement with the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority to stay at the Oakland Coliseum.
The deal that will run through 2025 is subject to approval by the Coliseum Joint Powers Authority, which is scheduled to vote on the extension Friday. The City of Oakland and Alameda County Board of Supervisors also will have to approve the deal.
Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig commended both sides for reaching a deal on a lease extension, while offering, "I continue to believe that the Athletics need a new facility and am fully supportive of the club's view that the best site in Oakland is the Coliseum site."
The two-time defending AL West champs are still hoping for a new stadium, but Wolff said a proposed site near Oakland's popular Jack London Square neighborhood has proved not to be a feasible option.
"Howard Terminal as a potential ballpark site has been and is totally rejected by MLB and the A's," Wolff said in an email to The Associated Press.
Selig reiterated that in a statement Wednesday. He has long supported Wolff's efforts to build a stadium, but hasn't ruled whether the A's can move into the San Francisco Giants' territory in technology-rich Silicon Valley and San Jose.
The rundown Coliseum has had multiple sewage problems in the past year and an outage affecting the outfield lights against the New York Yankees on June 14. Despite the A's recent on-field success, they are currently 24th in the majors in attendance with an average of 23,462 per game.
"Contrary to what some have suggested, the committee that has studied this issue did not determine that the Howard Terminal site was the best location for a new facility in Oakland," Selig said.
The Coliseum is the only stadium in the United States still used as the home for an NFL and MLB team. The Raiders are in the final year of their lease at the Coliseum and are interested in building a new stadium at the site.
While the A's deal is expected to contain "out clauses" for both sides, it could complicate the Raiders' desire for a new stadium.
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AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley contributed.
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