Plans Underway For New Stadium In Fremont

 

OAKLAND, Calif. (KCBS) -- KCBS has learned that the Oakland Athletics will soon announce plans to move the club to Fremont, and build a new stadium complex there.

KCBS sports anchor Steve Bitker broke the story Monday morning, learning via a source, that Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is expected to come to the Bay Area next Tuesday, November 14, and is expected to make the announcement along with A's owner Lew Wolfe, Fremont city officials, and executives from Cisco Systems, which will lease the land for the complex.

The A's have not yet commented, except to say that they hope to make an official major announcement soon. The commissioner's office has not yet commented, either, but may comment shortly, according to Bitker.

The team has long worked for a new stadium deal, and KCBS's Bitker reports that the Fremont pact is expected to involve a 40,000 seat ballpark and surrounding residential and retail village.

http://www.kcbs.com/pages/121049.php?conte...ontentId=236382

Sucks for the Oakland fans, but it's not that far to the south that they can't carry over.

Sucks for the Oakland fans, but it's not that far to the south that they can't carry over.

 

 

they are roughly 25 miles apart.

 

in the west thats what we call nothing.

Nevertheless, it will be an end of an era for the Athletics...that would be the Third Era (or Oakland Era) of the Athletics, if I remember my league history correctly. :whistle

 

Anyway, I don't think it's the distance that's the issue as much as the parochialism of the Bay Area. Also, Fremont is considered part of Silicon Valley. The site where the ballpark's supposed to is currently zoned for industrial use. Access to the ballpark site is mainly through one freeway, with local roads complementing it. There has been talk of extending the regional rail network through Fremont but in the meantime the Bay Area Rapid Transit has a stop in Fremont that is about 8 miles from the ballpark site. There are other train tracks (Amtrak?) that pass by the site.

 

New article with more detail:

 

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...11/07/MANDR.TMP

 

The Oakland A's are set to announce a major step forward next week in their plans to move down the Nimitz Freeway and build a 36,000-seat ballpark in Fremont.

 

After months of negotiations, A's officials are ready to declare their intention to acquire the rights to a 143-acre site near the former Baylands racetrack, city-owned land that is now leased to Cisco Systems, sources close to the negotiations said Monday. The A's plan to announce that the site will be the preferred location for a baseball-only stadium, which the team hopes to construct without public financing.

 

A's managing partner Lew Wolff, along with Cisco executives and Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig -- a former fraternity brother of Wolff's at the University of Wisconsin -- are expected to make the announcement at a news conference in the Bay Area next Tuesday, the sources said.

 

Cisco is expected to cede control of the property, south of Auto Mall Parkway on the west side of Interstate 880, to the A's. Cisco is likely to be a major sponsor of the ballpark and could have its name on the stadium, sources said.

Will the team be changing their name to Fremont?

Sucks for the Oakland fans, but it's not that far to the south that they can't carry over.

It's a half an hour drive down the 880. I just don't understand why they would move to Freemont. It's not exactly a metropolis like Oakland is.

Sucks for the Oakland fans, but it's not that far to the south that they can't carry over.

It's a half an hour drive down the 880. I just don't understand why they would move to Freemont. It's not exactly a metropolis like Oakland is.

Because Fremont is giving them a stadium that Oakland refuses to?

 

 

:confused

Sucks for the Oakland fans, but it's not that far to the south that they can't carry over.

It's a half an hour drive down the 880. I just don't understand why they would move to Freemont. It's not exactly a metropolis like Oakland is.

Because Fremont is giving them a stadium that Oakland refuses to?

 

 

:confused I would never have gone with Freemont. Trust me, I've been there. If they were in the Marlins situation and needed Freemont as a last resort, I would understand much better. But it seems as if they didn't seek out many options and went with the first thing they saw.

 

But I guess that's why I don't manage the Oakland / Freemont A's and Billy Beane does.

I've been out there as well. I'm not saying its the best decision but its the one that is the most economically viable of all their available options apparently.

Sucks for the Oakland fans, but it's not that far to the south that they can't carry over.

It's a half an hour drive down the 880. I just don't understand why they would move to Freemont. It's not exactly a metropolis like Oakland is.

Because Fremont is giving them a stadium that Oakland refuses to?

 

 

:confused I would never have gone with Freemont. Trust me, I've been there. If they were in the Marlins situation and needed Freemont as a last resort, I would understand much better. But it seems as if they didn't seek out many options and went with the first thing they saw.

 

But I guess that's why I don't manage the Oakland / Freemont A's and Billy Beane does.

 

Billy Beane has nothing to do with relocation.

KCBS sports anchor Steve Bitker broke the story Monday morning, learning via a source, that Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is expected to come to the Bay Area next Tuesday, November 14, and is expected to make the announcement along with A's owner Lew Wolfe, Fremont city officials, and executives from Cisco Systems, which will lease the land for the complex.

Must be why my shares in CSCO went from $23 to $25 overnight! :thumbup

Sucks for the Oakland fans, but it's not that far to the south that they can't carry over.

It's a half an hour drive down the 880. I just don't understand why they would move to Freemont. It's not exactly a metropolis like Oakland is.

Because Fremont is giving them a stadium that Oakland refuses to?

 

 

:confused

 

Except that they're not giving anybody a stadium. It's just the land that Cisco currently leases that would be turned over to the A's. Fremont (or Alameda County) may help with the infrastructure and must approve zoning changes.

 

Don't worry. I get what you're trying to say.

I can see it now: "The Oakland A's of fremont."

Its not a big move. They'll probably keep their name. When the panthers moved from miami to sunrise, it wasnt that big of a deal. That was a 35 mile move.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctime...ws/16792764.htm

 

Toxic hazard creates bump in road to new A's ballpark

 

By Barry Witt

Mercury News

 

The scope of Oakland A's owner Lew Wolff's Fremont ballpark village continues to widen, as new records reveal his pursuit of a fourth piece of land beyond the initial 143 acres he intends to buy from Cisco Systems. But city officials say there's one property in particular he needs to address to remove a potential hazard.

 

Just across the street from the envisioned ballpark village site sits Scott Specialty Gases, a distributor of highly toxic materials used in semi-conductor manufacturing. Fremont officials advised Wolff last year that he'd need to either relocate the plant or find another way to mitigate the potential hazard posed by a toxic gas cloud floating over a ballpark filled with 32,000 people.

 

"It's easier to relocate than try to mitigate for an open-air stadium,'' said Jill Keimach, Fremont's community development director, who began talking to the A's about the Scott Gas issue last April in early talks about the potential ballpark development.

 

Wolff and representatives of Scott Gas declined comment.

 

Hazard plans on file with the city show the "worst case scenario'' posed by a potential accident at Scott Gas would be a cloud of deadly arsine floating as far as seven-tenths of a mile from the plant. Other highly toxic gases at the plant include hydrogen chloride, ammonia and chlorine.

 

Scott Gas has been at its present location since 1985, in an area the city long had zoned for heavy industrial uses and long before any proposals to put retail or housing nearby.

 

Retailer requirements

 

The city required some of the new retail stores built nearby in the Pacific Commons shopping center to incorporate special devices -- red buttons -- to shut down their ventilation systems in the event of an accident at the plant. But no such protection would be available in a ballpark.

 

Jay Swardenski, the Fremont Fire Department's hazardous materials program manager, said if Wolff couldn't buy the Scott Gas parcel, he didn't know what alternatives were available to protect fans.

 

"We don't have a real plan'' from the A's, Swardenski said. "We don't know what the layout is, what kind of setbacks might be built into it. We'll have to do an evaluation of the compatibility'' between the gas plant and the A's development proposal. Swardenski said the "worst case scenario'' -- based on the catastrophic failure of a container holding the greatest quantity of compressed gas -- was not a "credible'' possibility, but the city is concerned about smaller releases sending a toxic cloud a shorter distance.

 

Wolff buys up land

 

Although Wolff announced publicly in November his intentions to buy the land from Cisco, that transaction has not closed and Wolff has not submitted a development proposal to the city. In addition to the Cisco property, Wolff has said he intends to buy an adjoining 25 vacant acres from ProLogis, the real estate company that owns Pacific Commons. Last year, in two transactions, companies formed by Wolff bought an additional 28 acres in the area.

 

Documents recorded earlier this month in Alameda County show a Wolff-affiliated company in November took out an option to buy the 16-acre Christy Concrete plant between the Cisco property and Interstate 880.

 

Just how much more land Wolff and his partners intend to scoop up is unknown, although real estate agents active in the area say a broker representing Wolff has made further inquiries. Of transactions revealed to date, Wolff-related companies have either bought or are in negotiations to buy 212 acres of land. The prices have not been disclosed.

 

City Manager Fred Diaz said he has postponed bringing to the city council a set of negotiating principles for dealing with the A's until the Cisco land deal is done.

 

"They hope it's in the next few weeks,'' Diaz said after meeting with Wolff's son Keith last week.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c...BAGK5POMQO4.DTL

 

Oakland A's sign Fremont land deal

Patrick Hoge, Chronicle Staff Writer

Thursday, May 10, 2007

 

(05-10) 12:17 PDT FREMONT -- The owners of the Oakland A's announced today that they have signed a contract to buy 168 acres for a proposed ballpark development in Fremont.

 

Lew Wolff, the team's managing partner, said the deal will allow him quickly to submit an application to the city for a roughly 32,000-seat stadium, surrounded by housing and high-end commercial development.

 

"We're very excited about it,'' Wolff said from his office in Los Angeles. "This is one of our good days.''

 

Wolff did not disclose the price for the land in an industrial area off Auto Mall Parkway, all of which is owned by ProLogis, an industrial real estate firm.

 

About 25 acres of the land are controlled by ProLogis directly. The other 143 acres are controlled by Cisco Systems Inc., which has a long-standing option to buy the land.

 

In November, Wolff revealed that he planned to move the team from Oakland's McAfee Coliseum to Fremont. At the same time, Cisco publicly committed to a 30-year ballpark naming deal that calls for the company to make annual payments to the team starting at $4 million.

 

Wolff and his representatives have been meeting with Fremont officials and have committed to spending $500,000 for city-hired consultants to study a ballpark plan.

 

But city officials have had little to study, because the team has not made a formal application. Wolff said he would not make such an application until after he had a deal for the land.

 

"What that does really is start a process," Wolff said today. "It enables us to move forward.''

 

Fremont Mayor Bob Wasserman, who loves the idea of the A's coming to town, welcomed today's news.

 

"It's a giant step,'' Wasserman said. "Now the ball is going to be in our court. We will have extensive studies to do. We're going to have decisions to make. I'm hopeful that the economics are there, that everything is there, and we end up with a marvelous project.''

 

Wolff presented city officials with an economic analysis Tuesday asserting that a new ballpark in Fremont would produce millions of dollars a year in public and private revenue.

 

The report assumed development of a stadium, 2,900 residential units on 120 acres, a 100-room hotel and 550,000 square feet of retail space. It estimated that the entire development would cost $1.8 billion and that the ballpark would cost about $450 million.

 

E-mail Patrick Hoge at phoge@sfchronicle.com

 

________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/news/pres...sp&c_id=oak

 

05/10/2007 4:00 PM ET

A's complete land transactions to construct new Cisco Field Ballpark and village

Application process to begin with city of Fremont on 226 acres

 

OAKLAND -- Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff, Cisco and ProLogis announced today that they have signed land agreements enabling the Cisco Field ballpark process to move forward. The A's now have completed the land transaction and control 226-acres of land in the City of Fremont where the new Cisco Field ballpark and the urban village will be built. In addition, the A's will continue to work with the City staff on the steps necessary to commence the public application process.

 

"I am pleased that this important stage in our goal of creating Cisco Field and the Baseball Village is complete," said Wolff. "Our agreements with Cisco and ProLogis are a critical milestone in giving us the opportunity to create Major League Baseball's most exciting and intimate fan friendly venue. Our organization believes the development program we will implement will generate very positive benefits for the city of Fremont, Alameda County and the fans that we serve. Remaining in Alameda County and having an exciting venue will also impact the A's ability to attract and retain Major League Baseball talent."

 

"We are truly excited to begin the next phase of our strategic relationship with the A's," said Cisco Chairman and CEO John Chambers. "We believe Cisco Field will provide the Bay Area community and major league baseball fans alike with an experience that is unparalleled in sports today. By teaming with the A's, Cisco will be able to use technology to help create a ballpark of the future-and connect communities."

 

The 226-acres of land will include Cisco Field and urban village featuring an integrated mixed-use life-style center and pedestrian oriented residential community. Cisco Field will become a destination attraction for fans to enjoy the excitement of A's baseball in a setting that will combine the intimate feel of the venerable ballparks with the state-of-the-art amenities of today's sports venues. Cisco and the A's are committed to making the stadium eco-friendly. Cisco believes that through the use of network-enabled building systems, it is possible to substantially reduce the energy required to heat, cool, and power the stadium.

 

About Cisco Field

Last November, the A's announced that the baseball-only stadium will be named Cisco Field as part of a 30-year naming rights agreement.

 

Cisco Field will be located in Fremont, which is approximately 20 miles to the south of McAfee Coliseum, five miles north of the Santa Clara County line and 12 miles from downtown San Jose. With a population of over 210,000 people and an area of 92-square miles, Fremont is the fourth most populous city in the Bay Area and California's fifth largest city in the area. The ballpark site is located on the west side of Interstate 880 off the Auto Mall Parkway.

 

The partnership with Cisco includes a broad marketing and business agreement which will underscore the A's commitment to create a unique fan experience by leveraging network technology throughout the ballpark and franchise operation. Cisco Field will be one of the most technologically advanced stadiums in the world and will demonstrate the positive role technology can play in sports, entertainment and connecting communities. Cisco's technology will be used to enhance every facet of the stadium, from ticketing and concessions to the management of game day operations.

 

Groundbreaking on the project will commence once the A's gain approval from the City of Fremont. The estimated cost of the ballpark is between $400-500 million (excluding land) with construction time taking between 24-36 months. Up to date information on the progress of Cisco Field can be obtained on the team's official website Oaklandathletics.com. Fans may also offer their suggestions regarding any aspect of Cisco Field through a special feedback section. Fans suggestions will be compiled on a weekly basis and forwarded to A's management.

 

The A's will continue to operate under its current lease agreement at McAfee Coliseum through the 2010 season, with the addition of three one-year club options through the 2013 season. Opened in 1966 and home of the A's since 1968, the Coliseum is the eighth oldest ballpark in the Major Leagues behind Fenway Park (1912), Wrigley Field (1916), Yankee Stadium (1923), RFK Stadium (1961), Dodger Stadium (1962), Shea Stadium (1964) and Angel Stadium (1966), although both Yankee Stadium and Angel Stadium have undergone significant baseball renovations over the years. The Coliseum is one of only four multi-purpose stadiums in the Major Leagues, including Dolphin Stadium in Miami, The Metrodome in Minneapolis and Rogers Centre in Toronto.

 

One of the American League's original franchises, the Athletics have won nine World Series championships and have captured 15 American League pennants. Only the New York Yankees (26) and St. Louis Cardinals (10) have won more World Series championships than the A's. Since 1968, the A's have captured four World Series titles, six American League pennants, 14 AL West Division titles and one AL Wild Card. The A's are one of the most community-minded teams in all of sports as the organization continues to support numerous charitable organizations in an effort to improve the quality of life of people throughout the Bay Area.

 

Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., Cisco, (NASDAQ: CSCO), is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

I can see it now: "The Oakland A's of fremont."

 

:lol

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/columni...,4437208.column

 

BERARDINO: Honey, I shrunk the ballpark

 

Published June 3, 2007

 

As the Marlins' push for a new stadium drags on with no resolution in sight, here's an idea for a possible way to break the stalemate.

 

Build smaller.

 

That's what the Oakland A's are planning to do if they receive approval for an ambitious project in nearby Fremont, Calif.

 

At 32,000, the capacity for Cisco Field would be the smallest in the majors and by far the smallest of any new park built in this latest wave of construction. However, A's owner Lew Wolff says that's the number that makes the most sense for a franchise that has always had trouble drawing fans, in good times or bad.

 

"We came to that [figure] with a lot of study a lot of people don't agree with, but we would like to see a filled-up ballpark, and I think the players would too," Wolff said last week in a phone interview. "We're in an area, and I think South Florida is a little bit the same way, where there's a lot of competition for the discretionary dollar, where people enjoy outdoor recreation. All these various things lead us to believe we should have a smaller rather than a larger park."

 

Another factor, Wolff admitted, is that it "costs incrementally less as you build smaller."

 

Perhaps the Marlins, understandably reluctant to build without a retractable roof, should consider cutting costs by dropping the planned capacity of their new stadium from the current 38,000.

 

That way, like the A's, they could sell intimacy as much as novelty.

 

"We're very hooked on getting the fans as close as possible," said Wolff, who made his fortune in real estate and hotels. "Sometimes the glow of the first five years of a new ballpark is overstated. There are certain markets -- I won't name them -- that if they had 10,000 less seats in their parks, the local government would be very happy."

 

The A's have reached 30,000 in average attendance just four times since moving from Kansas City in 1968, that during the Bash Brothers' heyday of 1989-92. The Marlins, by comparison, haven't crossed the 30,000 plateau in average attendance since their first two seasons (1993-94).

 

Another aspect of the A's plan that is refreshing is the limited reliance on public funds.

 

Wolff, 69, has already secured purchasing rights for 226 acres that would be used for the proposed Ballpark Village. The A's new home would eat up $450 million of the planned $1.8 billion redevelopment deal, a project that would include a hotel, nearly 3,000 luxury townhouses and 550,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.

 

There is also talk of an A's-funded school on the property.

 

The club would fund the vast majority of that overhaul. No bond issues. No grab for general funds.

 

"I'm basically a developer that does urban redevelopment," Wolff said. "I've learned over the years, the more cookies you take out of the public jar, the sicker you get. It's really good for the public and private side to minimize trying to use funds that can go to other priorities."

 

Now you might say Wolff has little choice but to go this route after the Giants built their new home across the bay without taxpayer assistance, but it's still nice to hear such straight talk from a member of baseball's ownership fraternity.

 

Keep in mind, Wolff is a former University of Wisconsin fraternity brother of Commissioner Bud Selig. Whenever Wolff calls his old friend, he identifies himself as "No. 30," a reference to his junior standing among major league owners.

 

If the A's move to Fremont goes through, Wolff's spot on the pecking order should improve considerably.

 

Around the horn

 

WHOA, BILLY: Like the Marlins, the A's don't plan to jack up their $65 million payroll upon approval of a new stadium. Even once they make the move, perhaps by 2011, the A's will keep their player outlay in the range of 50 percent of total revenues. "It will be business as usual," A's owner Lew Wolff said. "We have a staff, led by [GM] Billy Beane, that is very, very bottom-line oriented. Billy loves doing it that way. Frankly, it's more fun."

Interesting. Obviously I would like a large stadium if it were to sell out. But 32,000 is fine as long as you fill it every night, thats about 2.6 million for the season.

 

38,000 for the marlins is about right. If every game sold out it would be around 3 million fans for the season. When dolphin stadium gets filled with 65,000 people for playoff games, its a surreal feeling. However playoff games are few and far between.

that's definetly something to think about. I'd prefer a larger stadium, but now I realize I'd only want a large one so there's a possibility of having it filled up. So maybe the fish should think about cutting costs..

http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/ci_8956469

Fremont, A's continue to play waiting game

 

Ballclub's move likely delayed to 2012, 'if everything goes perfectly'

 

By Matthew Artz, STAFF WRITER

Article Created: 04/17/2008 02:34:47 AM PDT

 

FREMONT ? The Oakland A's still plan to come to Fremont, but team officials no longer expect to arrive in 2011.

 

A's co-owner Keith Wolff said that opening day 2012 now is the team's target date, although that, too, could change.

 

"If everything goes perfectly, 2012," Wolff said at a community meeting Tuesday night when asked what year the team would arrive. "I think we need a little leeway."

 

After the meeting, Wolff said that the team could arrive in 2011 only if the city certifies the team's environmental impact report by the end of this year ? a target date both Wolff and city officials said almost surely will be missed.

 

"2012 was probably more realistic than (2011)," City Manager Fred Diaz said Wednesday. "It's a very complicated project, and because of its complexity, it's very slow."

 

The A's are proposing a 32,000-seat ballpark, along with up to 3,150 homes, an elementary school and a commercial center similar to San Jose'sSantana Row on 226 acres west of Interstate 880 and south of Auto Mall Parkway.

 

Because the project is so massive, the team is continuing to fine-tune details with the city and other agencies.

 

"I think they're realizing that there's a lot of things that need to be addressed," Planning Director Jeff Schwob said.

 

Fremont and the A's still are discussing different plans for accessing parking lots and determining which entity would be responsible for paving a temporary parking lot west of CushingParkway, he said.

 

The environmental report, which requires the team to respond to comments from public agencies and citizens, typically takes 14 to 18 months to complete.

 

The draft environmental impact report, which would include the city's much-anticipated traffic impact study, could be completed by the end of the year, Schwob said.

 

Given that schedule, it is unlikely that the report will be made public before the November mayoral election, in which former Mayor Gus Morrison, a critic of the A's plan, is running against two men supporting the team's move to Fremont ? incumbent Mayor Bob Wasserman and Councilmember Steve Cho.

 

Wolff did not directly respond when asked if the team was concerned about Morrison entering the race. "We just want to present a project that makes sense for the city of Fremont."

 

Meanwhile, the team is continuing to try to strengthen local support.

 

Last week, it sent out mailers to Fremont residents that had a picture of co-owner Lew Wolff, Keith's father, on the front reading to a group of schoolchildren.

 

And at Tuesday's meeting, attended by about 45 people at St. Joseph's Parish, stadium backers distributed a different flier touting the development and its benefits for Fremont.

 

Fremont reporter Matthew Artz can be reached at 510-353-7002 or martz@bayareanewsgroup.com. For more go to the Tri-City Beat Blog at http://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat.

http://www.mercurynews.com/alamedacounty/ci_11774221

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?.../BAF7164BRL.DTL

 

Well, on the bright side it's nice to know that we're not alone. :whistle

http://www.mercurynews.com/alamedacounty/ci_11774221

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?.../BAF7164BRL.DTL

 

Well, on the bright side it's nice to know that we're not alone. :whistle

 

Yeah...at least we are closer to getting a new stadium then somebody for once.

http://www.mercurynews.com/alamedacounty/ci_11774221

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?.../BAF7164BRL.DTL

 

Well, on the bright side it's nice to know that we're not alone. :whistle

 

Yeah...at least we are closer to getting a new stadium then somebody for once.

Well, we were already closer than the Rays as well.

that's definetly something to think about. I'd prefer a larger stadium, but now I realize I'd only want a large one so there's a possibility of having it filled up. So maybe the fish should think about cutting costs..

 

For me, its not about cutting costs although that would surely help the franchise so I guess it could make me happy indirectly. But I like the fact that, even if obligatory, the A's emphasize intimacy. I wouldn't mind a smaller ballpark if everyone in the house got a better viewing experience because of it.