Clorox CEO talks about keeping the A's in Oakland (San Jose: 2014, lease)

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by bobby_guz_man

I listened to the entire interview and still did not hear anything about MONEY. Or a FINANCIAL plan. Or some way in which he or his STILL SUPER SECRET supporters or the City/County can help pay for the ballpark.

At this point, we already know Wolff is not going to spend his money to build a ballpark in Oakland.

So basically Knauss = Zzzzz..... nothing new, same old same old. Wake me up when he comes up with a financial plan. And please, no more 45 pet shops getting together and pledge $1 million in verbal dollars. That was funny 6 months ago, now it's just lame.

Hahaha

And you wake me up when the Blue Ribbon Committee created to explore moving the team to San Jose comes out of the witness protection program.

Clearly Oakland is on much more solid footing than naysayers could have ever imagined. There is no location in San Jose better or more dramatic than Howard Terminal, and there is a group with deep pockets ready to make it happen.

It's almost poetic justice.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by Stephen1110

Howard Terminal - Jack London Square - Brooklyn Basin

MLB sees this world class waterfront opportunity.

And Don Knauss already has an established business rapport with MLB in Houston. He was responsible for the naming rights of the stadium there.

[Obamadon1]

If there were many great waterfront sites in Oakland, a stadium would have been built on one a long time ago. Estuary Park is too small and the rest of Brooklyn Basin is going forward as non-stadium development. There is no room in JLS proper. Howard Terminal is the only semi-feasible site now and it has plenty of potential issues. First there's potential cleanup which could make this whole discussion moot. Then there's the small issue of the railroad tracks - how do you get 30,000 people (including many drunks) across active railroad tracks 81 times a year? Multiple pedestrian bridges that will cost tens of millions of dollars, in addition to cleanup and other infrastructure costs that will likely run in the (at least) tens of millions?

I hope it happens, but it's not likely at this point.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by Obamadon1

If there were many great waterfront sites in Oakland, a stadium would have been built on one a long time ago

No, because the ownership NEVER honestly explored Oakland's waterfront sites.

And I dont know if you remember what the area where ATT now stands was like 25 years ago, but I do and that area was far less tantalizing than Howard Terminal.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by Obamadon1

If there were many great waterfront sites in Oakland, a stadium would have been built on one a long time ago. Estuary Park is too small and the rest of Brooklyn Basin is going forward as non-stadium development. There is no room in JLS proper. Howard Terminal is the only semi-feasible site now and it has plenty of potential issues. First there's potential cleanup which could make this whole discussion moot. Then there's the small issue of the railroad tracks - how do you get 30,000 people (including many drunks) across active railroad tracks 81 times a year? Multiple pedestrian bridges that will cost tens of millions of dollars, in addition to cleanup and other infrastructure costs that will likely run in the (at least) tens of millions?

I hope it happens, but it's not likely at this point.

Well in the interview Knauss said the site wouldn't require that much cleanup, I can't remember what he was basing that off of though.

Also I don't think the railroad tracks would be an issue. Petco Park is built next to a set of RR tracks that are even busier as they have a transit line running down two of the tracks.

It's a pretty far walk from BART though, I'd be curious to see what they would plan to do about transit to the games. Not sure an infill BART station would make sense so maybe some sort of streetcar/trolley in the area. Easy access from BART is one of the best things about the Coliseum.

[Obamadon1]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

No, because the ownership NEVER honestly explored Oakland's waterfront sites.

And I dont know if you remember what the area where ATT now stands was like 25 years ago, but I do and that area was far less tantalizing than Howard Terminal.

This ownership group hasn't but the prior one did with HOK study. There were only a couple of sites considered feasible (Howard Terminal, Uptown, Coliseum, Laney maybe?). Uptown was the best, Jerry Brown vetoed it and fired Robert Bobb and here we are.

ATT wasn't an active port and didn't have busy railroad tracks to deal with.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by Obamadon1

This ownership group hasn't but the prior one did with HOK study. There were only a couple of sites considered feasible (Howard Terminal, Uptown, Coliseum, Laney maybe?). Uptown was the best, Jerry Brown vetoed it and fired Robert Bobb and here we are.

ATT wasn't an active port and didn't have busy railroad tracks to deal with.

Yes, Howard Terminal is feasible and I would like to think that mankind is smart enough to figure out how to accomodate trains next to a stadium site.

Furthermore, Jean Quan is not Jerry Brown and Don Knauss is not Lew Wolff.

MLB I'm sure is evaluating everything.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by sav858

Well in the interview Knauss said the site wouldn't require that much cleanup, I can't remember what he was basing that off of though.

Also I don't think the railroad tracks would be an issue. Petco Park is built next to a set of RR tracks that are even busier as they have a transit line running down two of the tracks.

It's a pretty far walk from BART though, I'd be curious to see what they would plan to do about transit to the games. Not sure an infill BART station would make sense so maybe some sort of streetcar/trolley in the area. Easy access from BART is one of the best things about the Coliseum.

Excellent.

Yeah, BART is a bit of a huff. A streetcar down B'way would be awesome.

[Obamadon1]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

Yes, Howard Terminal is feasible and I would like to think that mankind is smart enough to figure out how to accomodate trains next to a stadium site.

Furthermore, Jean Quan is not Jerry Brown and Don Knauss is not Lew Wolff.

MLB I'm sure is evaluating everything.

We're smart enough to figure it out, but it costs real money. Real money that can't be spent on adding cops or other city services.

[bobby_guz_man]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

Hahaha

And you wake me up when the Blue Ribbon Committee created to explore moving the team to San Jose comes out of the witness protection program.

Clearly Oakland is on much more solid footing than naysayers could have ever imagined. There is no location in San Jose better or more dramatic than Howard Terminal, and there is a group with deep pockets ready to make it happen.

It's almost poetic justice.

Hahhahaha

It's not the location with the best view, it's the location that could draw the most money from customers

And I do agree that Howard Terminal has pretty good weather for baseball. Bay front location, with a great view...of San Francisco

Back to sleep, wake me up when money's on the table and Oakland's future ballpark has a better view than one that looks towards its patronizing sister city. Its wealthier, safer, more beautiful sister city