Author Archives: Marine Layer

05.17.12
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Update from May 2012 Owners Meetings

Piping hot updates from Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal and Sports Business Journal’s Eric Fisher. First Rosenthal:

;

Now Fisher:

In sum, no news, they’re still working on it and it may take longer to get right.

Selig deserves a lot of criticism for not being more decisive on this matter, but he is absolutely right about the issue being very complicated. Then again, he gets paid $18 million a year to run baseball. It’s his job to deal with complicated issues.

Update 11:26 AM – The media AP is running with the “move out of Oakland” story.

Update 11:47 AM – For added context, a Jon Heyman article yesterday had Bill Neukom at the meetings this week. The fact that he’s still representing the Giants indicates that he’s still the lead for the team on the T-rights issue. Like it or not, he casts a shadow.

Update 2:44 PM – As predicted in the comments, Lew Wolff had to clean up Bud Selig’s mess.

“Number one, my only objective is to remain in the Bay Area,” A’s owner Lew Wolff said Thursday. “And based on all our studies, plus receiving no indication from the blue-ribbon committee that we missed anything, the only location we can find to build a ballpark that’s do-able is in downtown San Jose. I intend to do that. And we intend to invest half a billion dollars in private funds to do so.”

Cleaning up Selig’s mess. That’s what a fraternity brother is for.

05.16.12
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Trends from the Stadia EXPO 2012

A general rule about going to conventions is, “don’t go only on the last day”. Exhibitors are usually wrapping up, often people are tired and just want to go home, and chances are that whatever energy that pulsated through the show has dissipated by that final day. Still, Thursday was the only day I could go to Stadia EXPO 2012, so I went. Expectations set, I wasn’t too disappointed by the sight of entire booths being taken down and put away. I was hoping to get a sense of what technology was being pitched to stadium builders and operators, and as far as that went I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest.

Camatic seats mounted on beam

Three years ago I wrote a post about the seats that are going into Cowboys Stadium. Made by Australian manufacturer Camatic, at the time they were unique because the seats and standards weren’t mounted directly onto concrete risers. Instead, crews drilled metal beams into the risers, then mounted the seats onto the beams. This allows the stadium operator to expand or contract seating capacity by adding one or two seats to each row for high-demand games. Now it’s not only Camatic who makes this solution. I saw at least three vendors who had a beam-mount system. It’s not for every situation, but if you’re building or running a retractable roof stadium or arena it’s very compelling.

An assortment of LED modules from Daktronics. Top: indoor, bottom: outdoor

Occasionally on this site we hear some grumbling about the scoreboards at the Coliseum. Well, there’s no news on that front, but I can tell you that what’s out there is only getting better and better. Scoreboard maker Daktronics was on hand, and what they showed was incredible. The new thing is a LED panel where the individual pixels are only 4 mm apart. Normally you’d think of these types of displays as used in a large arena or stadium, where the crowd is a good amount of viewing distance away from the display. A display with 4 mm elements results in a 1080p/Full HD display size of just over 25′ x 14′, or a 4K cinema display size of 54′ x 25.5′. What that means is that you can put this technology in a movie theater, which is astounding. Last week I went to see a 2D presentation of The Avengers in a popular San Diego multiplex, and the auditorium had a screen close to that larger size. It used a standard Sony 4K projector. Obviously, this technology is too expensive to use in movie theaters compared to projectors, but can you imagine if it was price competitive? The quality would be amazing, the technology easily serviceable, and the brightness second-to-none (you can’t use projectors outside).

Plus, imagine if the part of a scoreboard or video board stopped working, which is something that happens with the ancient DiamondVision CRT panels at the Coliseum frequently. A technician could simply take the broken panel and replace it while the display is running, as you can see in the video below.

The last booth I visited was Nike Grind, which was pitching their recycled-shoe-rubber solution for artificial turf fields. A great takeaway from it is that the color of fill can make a huge difference. If you watch a slow-mo replay of a running back cutting on Field Turf or a similar surface, you’ll often see little rubber bit kicking up from the ground as he plants his foot. Most of the time that fill is made of recycled tires, which are all black. If you’re playing on that surface outdoors in the Midwest or South on a late August day, that fill can act as an insulator that can make the ambient temperature above the field as much as 120 degrees. Since shoes have different colored soles/parts, it can make the fill multicolored instead of black. Nike Grind claims that the multicolored fill can drop the ambient temperature up to nine degrees.

Cool as the technology was, there were things I did not see:

  • Anything to make 25,000 seats disappear or otherwise make baseball and football co-exist easily.
  • Much in terms of new American stadium projects (we’re in a slump).
  • Arena renovation case studies.

For that last part, check back here tomorrow.

As for attending Stadia EXPO 2013 next year, I’ll pencil myself in. Next time, I’ll go on the first day.

05.16.12
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Quick note about Twitter

We don’t advertise it much, but just in case you aren’t aware, we have a presence on Twitter: @newballpark. All articles are set to auto-tweet once published. Often I’ll retweet articles I find interesting, some of which I’ll write about and some I won’t. I also correspond with the Twitterverse on all subjects sports economics. If you want to be up-to-date, follow us on Twitter.

Now get back to work.

05.15.12
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Drama, more drama

While the City of San Francisco continues its schmoozing of the Warriors, Kings ownership is going to war with Sacramento. Apparently the Maloofs hired a former FBI agent to look into the signatures provided by supporters of ThinkBig Sacramento, a civic group whose focus is to keep the team in the capital city. That caused ThinkBig to retaliate, as they want the US Attorney General to investigate the Maloofs to see if they harassed those supporters.

And you thought the relationship between the A’s and Oakland was bad.

In addition, newly dug up documents show that the Maloofs and the NBA had a disagreement about terms the team was asking for and items they would commit to: collateral, gameday and municipal expenses. Naturally, the Maloofs balked at putting up any of that even though it’s standard practice in stadium/arena building these days. Buzz is building that they’ll apply for relocation as the 2012-13 season ends, and there’s no telling how awkward the situation will be between the team and fans at Power Balance Pavilion this fall.

It’s all so bizarre. Excuse me while I grab some popcorn.

05.14.12
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SF officially pursuing Warriors + LA Live observations

According to Matier & Ross, the City of San Francisco has sent a letter to the Warriors urging the team to work with the city on a new arena deal in SF. A month ago it was revealed that W’s ownership was looking at Piers 30 & 32, which were removed from the America’s Cup waterfront development plan due to cost. Nothing has changed to indicate the site isn’t the frontrunner, though the team could still work out a deal with the Giants in the China Basin/Mission Rock area as a backup plan.

There are height restrictions that will come into play, just as they did with AT&T Park. Given the City’s political will that pushed through the America’s Cup EIR, I have to think the stars would similarly align for the Warriors’ arena efforts.

It’ll be interesting to see if this motivates Oakland to ramp up its Coliseum City efforts. Given the number of events the arena holds annually (150-200), I suspect that keeping the Warriors is practically the linchpin in making Coliseum City work. With AEG in the picture, it’s possible that they may have a business plan to make the arena work without a team, probably by retooling the arena as the Bay Area’s premier large concert venue, like Sprint Center in Kansas City. Of course, making it “work without a team” is a subjective matter, as KC is paying through the nose in debt service while AEG is the one making money in the partnership.

LA Live was built out over several years, with Staples Center and the convention center as anchors

Between the Stadia EXPO and lunch at Philippe’s, I walked around downtown. I’ve never done that in LA, since for me the only reason to be there is an event at Staples Center. Oakland is trying to pattern Coliseum City as something similar to LA Live. That’s a tough one to duplicate, as I explained a few weeks ago. LA Live is a complex of numerous live venues, a multiplex, two luxury hotels, restaurants, all of it adjacent to Staples Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center. There’s always a lot of activity, even when it isn’t apparent.

Setting up for the "Battleship" red carpet premiere

As I was walking through the area, a crew was getting the rigging set up for the LA premiere of the action blockbuster “Battleship” (yes, inspired by the board game). It was 2:30 PM and people were already camping out, getting prime spots to view Rihanna and Brooklyn Decker as they walked the red carpet. Oakland got its brush with Hollywood fame when the Moneyball premiere was held at the Paramount last fall. It shouldn’t expect much more than that. Later this week Staples will hold six playoff games in five four days, including a doubleheader on Saturday. That’s not realistic for any arena in the Bay Area.

So what is realistic? If there are three major arenas in the Bay Area thanks to the Warriors crossing the bridge, the Oakland/Oracle Arena will suffer. There simply isn’t enough demand to fill all three venues regularly, and one will eventually turn into the “budget” arena to remain competitive. The best thing Oakland can do is everything possible to keep the Warriors in the Coliseum complex. I’m not sure what that will take, and I’m not certain that will be enough to overcome the cachet of San Francisco. For Oakland’s sake, I hope they put their best foot forward.

Update 6:43 PM – Oakland has responded with a statement reiterating their commitment to the Warriors. Curiously, it’s the first real indicator that Oakland is pushing for a new arena to replace Oracle Arena, something that has not shown up in public documents to date. Oakland’s advantage versus SF is that they shouldn’t require a brand new arena. What incentive is there for the W’s to build in Oakland if they have to pay for it?

05.12.12
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Back to the Futura

The day began with a 5:15 alarm. Not used to the early wakeup time, I spent the next ten minutes in a daze. The dog started licking my feet, a habit she does whenever she wants a walk, so I was up shortly thereafter.

Behind home plate. The logo is repainted daily.

Dog walked and fed and myself showered and dressed, I hopped in the truck to drive 40 minutes to Oceanside, where I was to catch the Metrolink train going all the way to Los Angeles Union Station. For those that don’t know, Metrolink is a diesel commuter rail service much like the Bay Area’s Caltrain, except that it has multiple lines that venture out to Ventura, Lancaster, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Oceanside, at the north end of San Diego County. One way trip price: $14.50. I was afraid of getting stuck and stressed in the normal weekday LA traffic, so rising early was worth it. Other than a brief delay to allow a late BNSF freight train to pass, the ride was smooth and uneventful.

After a little breakfast a few blocks away from the station, I set out to take public transit to Dodger Stadium so that I could catch the 10 AM tour. That’s right, public transit. There’s been a little talk about the Dodger Express, a bus that runs directly from Union Station to Dodger Stadium. The bus only runs on gamedays from 90 minutes before first pitch until shortly after the game ends, so the option wasn’t available to me. Instead I had a choice of either the #2 or #4 bus, both of which head north through downtown before going west on Sunset Blvd. The bus got me to Sunset & Elysian Park by 9:35, leaving me 25 minutes to hike up Chavez Ravine to the “Top of the Park” to make the tour time. The walk is about 3/4 mile, with an elevation change of 160-170 feet. No sweat, right?

Halfway up at the intersection of Elysian Park Ave. and Stadium Way.

Good thing I had 25 minutes to spare because I needed every one of them. Having never been to Dodger Stadium except for a game, I was not prepared for the security procedure that met me at the gate (pictured above). Every driver (and pedestrian as I would soon find out) had to check in at the gate and have their driver’s license or ID run. As I waited by the guard shack, I noticed that they were running ID on every person inside every car except for children. The guard told me that under no terms was I to stray away from the P lot to other areas of the park before I was to start the tour. Apparently this is because many of the stadium gates (not the gates to the parking lots) are open during the day so that maintenance can be easily performed around the premises. This rigamarole added an extra 7-8 minutes. At 9:50 I was on my way, printed badge sticker on my shirt. I arrived at the ticket booth at 9:57, the only person ahead me a cop who was getting tickets for a future home game.

View from in front of elevator at Top Deck, San Gabriel Mountains in background

Shortly after Frank McCourt bought the Dodgers from Fox, he announced a $500 million renovation and development plan for Dodger Stadium and the surrounding grounds. The goal was to fix some of the circulation issues within the stadium and update the venue to make it on par with the new generation of ballparks. Scoreboards were changed, as were seat options in the lower deck that cut into the wide expanse of foul territory. The lower concourses were refreshed with a retro-modern look harkening back to the stadium’s opening. All of the seats were changed to the original pastel color scheme. The upper concourses (reserved, top deck) remained untouched. Whether that was because McCourt was steeling himself for a nasty divorce or because he and Jamie McCourt were wasting money on mansions is hard to say. Whatever the case, the money didn’t filter up to the cheap seats.

The press box hasn't changed much either (note rust on ceiling). Neither has the great view.

Sure, the upper decks need the urinal troughs replaced. It would help if all signs were in Futura and the prominent ones had the sleek, brushed metal look. That’s for the new ownership group to do, and they’ve indicated that they’re going to make some upgrades, which are designed to last a decade. There isn’t an obvious place to add to the 33 suites in-house. That led to McCourt’s creation of “baseline boxes” and other field level premium options. A group including Orel Hershiser has proposed a horrific set of additions including a Arlington-like second deck in RF and an egregious amount of outfield signage. A restaurant or two and some party areas would suffice, along with getting rid of the troughs. The place is kept up well already. Concrete floors are generally polished. Painted walls are repainted every year.

Dugout Club. Memorabilia adorns the ramps leading down to the floor.

Much has been written about the origins of Dodger Stadium. To get the real story, look here. Or check out the construction pictures here. To me, Dodger Stadium is the perfect form of reactionary stadium. The vision that Walter O’Malley saw was formed by his experiences at Ebbets Field and his frustrations in getting a replacement built in Brooklyn (you’re welcome, Robert Moses). Ebbets Field couldn’t get any bigger than 35,000 cramped seats. It had no parking onsite, making it difficult to attract white flight suburbanites that were fleeing the city in droves. It was a bandbox. O’Malley wanted bigger, more spacious, more modern. When he couldn’t get that in Brooklyn (Moses offered Queens), he went to LA, a city that was all too willing to use eminent domain to drive people off a 200-acre hillside to attract a major league franchise. Dodger Stadium was built into that hillside with cantilevered decks, spacious foul territory, large dimensions and a great view of nature in the San Gabriel Mountains to the north. It was close enough to downtown (2+ aerial miles) to be central to the region, though it turns it back on downtown and its gritty nature. And parking, oh did it have parking. The future was cars, rockets, and Disneyland. If O’Malley brought the Dodgers to the West Coast, he would be feted like a king. Feted he was, until the end of his life. Forever the villain in Brooklyn, he was always a hero in Hollywood.

It’s with that sense of history that I hope there are no major changes at Dodger Stadium (they can build condos, just don’t change the actual venue). It’s a product of its time, good and bad. Stadia are becoming more disposable over time. Candlestick Park will be demolished soon after the 49ers leave. Whatever happens to the Oakland Raiders and Oakland A’s, it’s unlikely that the Coliseum will be left as is. Either it will also be demolished or it will be radically transformed. Qualcomm Stadium may stick around, but the land there in Mission Valley is too valuable not to reuse. We need Dodger Stadium to stick around as a reminder of what America was like in the postwar era: optimistic, not quite coming to grips with its socioeconomic and racial issues, hopeful yet paranoid, somewhat naive. It’s a messy, conflicted, beautiful period. Dodger Stadium is a testament to that.

05.11.12
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The no-threat threat

As of yesterday’s Minnesota legislature-approved stadium plan for the Vikings, Minnesotans have approved some $1.85 billion in new venues since 2005-06. Only a year ago it was believed that the Vikings drew the short straw as the University of Minnesota’s football program (TCF Bank Stadium) and the Minnesota Twins (Target Field) got funding before the recession kicked in. Maybe it’s a sign of a recovering economy, or merely another successful negotiating session by the NFL. In any case, from the looks of things the Vikings will be in Minneapolis for decades to come.

HKS-penned Metrodome replacement. Retractable roof optional, to be paid for by team.

Not that it wasn’t without some 11th-hour heartache. As the plan stalled in the legislature, Vikings owner Zygi fueled up the jet and took a meeting in Los Angeles, which was exactly the panic-induced catalyst the issue needed to move forward.

Three venues. $1.8 billion and counting. All three took enormous amounts of horse-trading in the legislature, and some politically iffy maneuvering to avoid public votes. Ugly as it was, it got done. That’s a major difference from how things are done in California, which is to say that here things are either done relative smoothly or not at all.

The Vikings’ staying leaves four teams with some kind of stadium project on the table:

  • Buffalo. No new stadium is being requested at this point, only a $200 million renovation to Ralph Wilson Stadium. Results from a recent phone poll suggest that the Bills should by ponying up a major share of the cost, which is permissible within the NFL’s new G-4 program. A study being readied by Populous which explains the costs and options in detail is due out later this year.
  • Jacksonville. With new ownership, talk of stadium changes or a new stadium has ceased. It’s not hard to see it ramp up again after the honeymoon period ends, probably after the 2012 season.
  • San Diego. The Chargers have absolutely nothing going on regarding a new stadium anywhere in the metro area. The region is immersed in grief over the tragic death of Junior Seau, and it’s going to take a while to recover. A capacity crowd may show up today at Qualcomm Stadium to honor former Charger great. As this subsides, the drama over what the Spanos family will or could do with the team will start up again.
  • Oakland. The Coliseum City study continues for now, and Mark Davis has indicated that he’d like for Dublin to be a backup plan, which is not a bad idea if Dublin is interested – which is questionable at this point. Past talk about the Raiders running out of money appears to have died down. Al Davis was always good about getting the best lawyers working for him, so it shouldn’t be any surprise that he would have a well-conceived succession and estate plan. After all, if there’s one thing Davis had in spades, it’s foresight.
  • St. Louis. The Rams have released a 15-item list of upgrades that will be required to put Edward Jones Dome in the “first tier” of NFL stadia, per their lease. The upgrade list, whose price tag could run $200-450 million, is expected to be released Monday. The onerous lease terms have the City by the short hairs, though it’s expected that the NFL will provide some G-4 funds to the Rams to sugarcoat the deal. At the top of the list is a retractable roof. To accomplish that goal, St. Louis should look to the Vancouver’s BC Place renovation project, which included both a novel retractable roof and a curtaining system for CFL and MLS games, plus a Cowboys Stadium-like centerhung scoreboard. The price for that project was $563 million, though it should be noted that as an older venue BC Place required far greater scope of work, especially because it was done in two phases sandwiching the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Of the four teams in “flux”, only St. Louis is in any kind of advanced stage of negotiations. Even then there’s still time as their window to vacate doesn’t open until 2015. The Raiders could leave after 2013, and I expect that they’ll use Santa Clara, Dublin, and maybe LA as leverage against Oakland/Alameda County to get the concessions they’re looking for, even if it doesn’t make any sense from the NFL’s perspective (loaning $400 million for two Bay Area stadia).

In other words, there are no immediate crises. One or two are somewhat looming. None of these situations requires the kind of effort that was made for the Vikings. The team’s lease expired after the 2011 season, creating a crisis scenario that propelled talks. As the other teams’ scenarios advance in the next year or so, we can expect to see more action on their plans.

05.09.12
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A brief respite (open thread)

This trip was supposed to include games in Anaheim and Los Angeles. Anaheim got scratched last weekend because I partied a little too hard. Dodger Stadium remains a possibility for either a tour or a game. The last week has been so full of news that it’s hard to breathe. I think I’ve done what I could to cover all of the news, not just the stories that fit a certain worldview.

Tomorrow I’m giving myself a break. I’m going to downtown LA to attend the Stadia Design & Technology EXPO 2012. For a stadium geek like me it’s my CES: full of vendors looking to peddle scoreboards and artificial turf to attending stadium and arena operators. Several design and architecture firms will also be present, so I may get to talk about different projects past, present, and future. Yesterday, to kick off the EXPO, AEG showed off another vision of Farmers Field, which not coincidentally would be next door to where the convention is being held.

If you’re interested in the technical stuff of stadia, check out the link above and put any questions or wishlist items in the comments. If you’re in LA and you have time, it might be worth checking out (admission is free). Other than that, consider this an open thread. Keep it civil, people.

05.09.12
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State bills Oakland $29 million for Henry J. Kaiser Center sale

Last summer, we followed the City of Oakland’s budget process with more attention than we normally would. The reason for the coverage was that the City was doing some financial trickery in order to make the budget work. In order to fill a $58 million budget deficit, Mayor Jean Quan tried to pass a parcel tax that would’ve covered half of that deficit. The parcel tax failed, which led to cuts. The City also sold the dormant Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center to the Oakland Redevelopment Agency for another $29 million. HJKCC is inoperable at the moment due to necessary repairs and retrofits, and it’s too expensive to run, making that $29 million a black hole.

Now Matier and Ross report that State Controller John Chiang is coming after that $29 million. Chiang has declared the land sale void, setting up a situation in which Oakland now owes the state $29 million. ORA is dead per legislation, however Oakland has set up a successor agency to continue projects already underway. It’s unclear what the City can do to plug this new-found gap. The property isn’t worth on the open market without either a discount to rehabilitate HJKCC. It couldn’t be demolished because it has historic landmark status. Some combination of additional asset sales and major cuts would also seem to be in order for the City. A major target could be the $3.5 million earmarked for the Coliseum City project, of which some percentage has already been spent.

The HJKCC situation is different from the Diridon ballpark land situation in San Jose, in that no money changed hands there. It was simply a transfer from one agency to another. Should Chiang go after the Diridon land in earnest, it would simply be auctioned off at the state’s discretion and they’d end up with the proceeds, with Lew Wolff potentially getting the land in a sale (though without the negotiated discount). In Oakland’s case, if HJKCC couldn’t be sold for the $29 million price or there were no bidders, the $29 million budget gap re-emerges. At this point there’s no telling what would have to be sacrificed to make ends meet. I have to think that the City has planned for this possibility, at least for the sake of Oakland citizens who may be adversely affected.

I thought it was strange that on other sites many were cheering news last week about land seizures because they could hurt San Jose’s ballpark efforts. The truth is a little more complicated than that, and on the surface, may be worse for Oakland. That’s why we looked at Oakland’s budget situation last year. It seemed unusual and ripe for a reversal. That chicken is coming home to roost.

Update 2:19 PM: Quick clarification on the HJKCC sale: $5.2 million was to be applied to this fiscal year and again to next fiscal year (2012-13), with the balance held in reserve.

05.09.12
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Wolff willing to meet with Knauss + Quan & Miley in Chron

From the end of Joe Stiglich’s recap of Tuesday night’s thrilling walk-off slam win (courtesy of Mark Purdy, I assume):

A’s owner Lew Wolff said Tuesday that he would be willing to meet with Don Knauss, the Clorox chief executive officer who is spearheading the latest effort to keep the team in Oakland. But Wolff, who is traveling in Europe, said he would spend most of that meeting outlining his unsuccessful efforts to build an East Bay ballpark.

“If they want to look at all that, I would do that,” Wolff said. “I would be delighted to meet with him.”

For the sake of argument, let’s say that they meet in mid-June. That’s after the owners meetings and before the All-Star break, and without knowing the two men’s schedules, probably enough lead time to schedule something. Wolff explained what he’s going to do, which is in all likelihood to give the presentation he gave MLB some time ago. Knauss will probably try to sell Wolff on Oakland. He may or may not bring up the Giants’ T-rights. He’ll bring up his Coca-Cola/Minute Maid experience. What will he have on hand to try to refute Wolff’s case against Oakland? Keep in mind that Wolff has been working on this stadium business for longer than Knauss has been at Clorox.

Coming out of this hypothetical meeting, expect both men to have their talking points. Wolff will explain that he’s tried everything he could. Knauss will probably say that circumstances merit a fresh approach. Beyond that, what should we expect? Prepared statements? Mini press-conferences? No one should expect some great solution to come out of meeting, or that Wolff will suddenly feel like selling the franchise.

Will Oakland backers continue their PR war for the next month? Interestingly, the thrust of this campaign currently goes over Wolff’s head – appealing to John Fisher and MLB, not addressing Wolff directly.

While most fans were reading the Tribune ad from early Tuesday morning, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan and Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley penned their own op-ed in the Chronicle. From the piece:

Over the past three years, MLB has made it clear that any new A’s ballpark would require the public agencies to provide land, infrastructure and some parking while the team would finance construction. Under this type of public-private partnership, the city and county’s general fund would not be put at risk. The city and county already own the land, and only minor improvements to the infrastructure surrounding the ballpark are needed. There is ample land at the new ballpark Coliseum site to provide the team with development rights, which could assist with the financing. The parcel is large enough to meet Major League Baseball’s specifications.

That’s a curious selling point, because the reality of Coliseum City appears to be different, at least according to a case study published by the Airport Area Business Association in conjunction with Coliseum City principal JRDV and students at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. From the study:

Oakland, Taking Control of Its Destiny

The Coliseum complex presents a unique opportunity to prepare a pioneering business model that generates revenue for both public and private interests. A winning plan to finance, build, and operate a new Oakland stadium will draw upon historical data and the successes of other urban cities across the U.S. in developing projects that revitalized their surrounding communities and invigorated local and regional economies.

The estimated community benefits amount to upwards of $1.3 billion in direct spending, tax collection, employment, and wage earnings. Nonetheless, can the City of Oakland and Alameda County really afford to go down this path again given that it is still repaying its previous Coliseum bond and loan debts of at least $145 million?

Can Oakland overcome the challenges and obstacles it faces, and make the new stadium a reality? Are the withdrawal of redevelopment monies, the negative perception of Oakland (and especially Deep East Oakland) by investors, and the soft commercial real estate market insurmountable? Can the City of Oakland and Alameda County garner the public support required to approve the necessary public financing and inspire investor confidence?

It’s funny, the PR campaign hasn’t mentioned much about the difficulties Oakland and Alameda County face. It’s also curious, though not surprising, that the study has no mention of the A’s as a future tenant at Coliseum City. It only considers the Raiders and Warriors. Quan and Miley want people to believe that putting in a new ballpark is as easy as adding a bedroom onto a house. It’s all part of the disjointed narrative that the Oakland lobby continues to push: no consensus on a site, all sites are great, no broad, honest public discussion of the obstacles any project faces.

Mile wide, inch deep.

P.S. – A snippet from today’s Oakland Tribune editorial gets the tone right:

The next step — and this will likely be one of the toughest ones — is for the city to demonstrate some uncharacteristic vision. It must grab this opportunity with a firm grip and hold on with all its might.

That will mean putting asunder petty bickering and other nonsense to come together in common purpose. Not just saying the words in a photo op, mind you, but actually doing it.

When was the last time the City of Oakland accomplished a major project that didn’t turn out to be a budget-busting mess marked by political infighting and legal drama?