Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A Decade of Running in Place
A Decade of Running in Place
RHAMESIS MUNCADA
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TIMELINE
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February Finley buys out all minority partners in exchange for waiving an
escape clause that would trigger if As attendance dropped below 850,000 in a
single season. During a press conference Finley burns the lease, or rather a fake
version of it. The attendance clause remains in effect.
February Lamar Hunts Dallas Texans (AFL) are allowed to move to Kansas
City and Municipal Stadium, accelerating Finleys desire to leave KC.
Regular season Finley visits Dallas (again), Atlanta, Louisville, and Oakland
in search of a stadium deal.
1964
July Voters approve the twin-stadium proposal, 69% in favor. Finley gets a
proposal from Jackson County while talking with Milwaukee officials about team
relocation. Both Seattle and New Orleans make offers but do not possess a major
league-quality stadium.
September KC officials make 11th hour efforts to keep As in town. Finley
quickly announces that As are moving to Oakland.
October Finley presents relocation options to AL owners, including Oakland,
Seattle, and Kansas City. Oakland is approved starting with the 1968 season.
Missouri Senator Stuart Symington threatens legislation to break baseballs
antitrust exemption, is promised an expansion franchise for the 1969 season.
That team becomes the Royals, owned by local KC businessman Ewing Kauffman.
Upon arriving in Oakland, Finley makes similar promises he made in KC team
will stay, he will build a winner, he will move his family to the city. Finley hires
East Bay native Joe DiMaggio as a team executive.
Oakland/Finley era
1968
October The As finish the season 82-80, the first of nine straight seasons over
.500 in Oakland.
1969
1970
October As win their first World Series in Oakland over the Cincinnati Reds
1973
October As win second straight World Series over the New York Mets
1974
October As win third straight World Series over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
During WSFinley says that Oakland cant support a championship team.
1975
Spring Rumors circulate about Finleys interest in selling the As. Finley plays
down such talks.
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January Giants owner Horace Stoneham reaches agreement to sell the team
to Canadian brewery Labatts, who would move the team to Toronto. Bob Lurie
and Bud Herseth later step in to keep team in SF.
1977
Regular season As Finley sells players to other teams to cover debts and his
ongoing divorce proceedings, As players start asking for the league to intervene
and rescue the team.
1979
January Eddie DeBartolo, Sr. makes an offer to Finley to buy the As and
move them to New Orleans. The sale is thwarted again by the Coliseum lease,
along with Kuhns disinterest in bringing in an owner associated with gambling
(casinos and horse tracks). In 1977 DeBartolo bought the 49ers and turned them
over to his son, Eddie Jr. In 1980 Eddie Sr. tried to buy the Chicago White Sox
and was turned away again by Kuhn. The White Sox were purchased by Jerry
Reinsdorf.
November Finley reaches another dealwith Marvin Davis, sale price $12
million. Coliseum officials face another relocation threat when Al Davis looks to
move the Raiders to LA. The rationale for allowing the As to leave was that
money from the Coliseum lease buyout would fund improvements for the
Raiders, plus it would get rid of Finley once and for all. The Oakland City Council
votes unanimously to keep the lease, wrecking the sale attempt again.
1980
January Raiders owner Al Davis announces his intention to move the football
team to LA. After a lengthy legal battle, the team moved prior to the 1982 season.
August Frustrated with Oakland and MLB, Finley gives up on selling to out-ofstate interests and focuses locally. A group headed by former Levi Strauss CEO
Walter Haas, Jr. buys the team for $12.7 million.
Oakland/Haas era
1981
Spring Sandy Alderson, who was originally hired in 1981, becomes the As
general manager.
1984
September Haas and the Oakland Coliseum Commission work out loan terms
for improvements to the stadium that would include skyboxes, a seating
reconfiguration, and scoreboard improvements.
October Bob Lurie threatens to move the Giants to Denver, touts the Coliseum
as a short-term home for his team without consulting the As and Haas. The idea
goes nowhere.
October As return to the World Series for the first time since 1974, lose to the
Dodgers.
1989
October As beat the Giants in the Battle of the Bay World Series, which was
interrupted by the 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake.
March Davis accepts a $660 million offer to move the Raiders back to
Oakland. Included in the proposal are $53 million in Coliseum improvements, a
$54 million franchise fee, revenue from guaranteed sellouts for five years. The
deal falls apart after a voter referendum threat in Oakland.
July Citing the As ongoingfinancial burden, Haas threatens to take the As out
of Oakland after the 1995 season if the Raiders return.
June MLB owners approve Denver and Miami for new expansion teams in the
National League for 1993, effectively taking those cities off the stalking horse
relocation threat list.
1992
August Lurie reaches agreement to sellthe Giants to Tampa Bay interests for
$115 million.
September Haas grants the Giants territorial rights to Santa Clara County
(including San Jose) upon request from MLB and Lurie. Prior to the request,
Santa Clara County was not assigned to either team. The Giants planned to build
a ballpark in either north San Jose or Santa Clara. Both proposals failed at the
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ballot box. The Giants carry the T-rights forward into the next ownership tenure
even though they never moved to the South Bay, considering the T-rights part of
the teams value.
November The owners scuttle Luries sale to Tampa with the help of new
actingcommissioner (and Brewers owner) Bud Selig. SF interests scramble to put
together a new ownership group. That group, at first led by SF mega-developer
Walter Shorenstein and later led by Safeway CEO Peter Magowan, buys the
Giants for $100 million.
1993
May Haas announces he will put the Asup for sale for $85 million, provided
local ownership is found. The price reflects a 15% hometown discount.
Oakland/Schott-Hofmann era
1995
July Steve Schott and Ken Hofmann officially buy the As from Haas. The deal
takes several months to complete because of extended negotiations over
outstanding debt and a promise to keep the team in Oakland amidst football
construction at the Coliseum. After debt, the sales price is somewhere in the $72
million range. New ownership signs 9-year lease extension.
November Schott hires longtime friend Ed Alvarez to run the business side of
the As. Alvarez is also tasked with looking for ballpark sites away from the
Coliseum, including the South Bay. A dispute over a promised ownership stake
for Alvarez led to arbitration and later a lawsuit. Friendship dissolved, the two
men ultimatelysettled.
1996
July Mark McGwire, the last remaining star from the Bash Brothers era, is
traded to St. Louis for prospects.
January Schott sues Coliseum Authority (JPA) for $48 million over lost
revenue caused by the Coliseums football renovations (Mt. Davis).
1999
September Selig tables a vote to approve a sale of the As to the DolichPiccinini. The vote never happens as the window to negotiate expires. Rumblings
from the league office indicated that baseball was concerned about the financial
wherewithal of the group. Oakland backers cry foul on Seligs part.
March Schott initiates talks with Santa Clara (his hometown) for a ballpark
near Great America by getting SC to delay construction of a parking garage. Talks
break off several months later when another rumor of a sale to Vegas group
surfaces.
July The City of Oakland goes withBrowns choice, Forest City, to be the
developer of the Uptown parcels, shutting out the possibility of a ballpark there.
Prior to the action, Schott neglected to attend a meeting detailing the proposal,
demurring throughout the summer. Brown fired Bobb in 2003 over Bobbs
insistence in continuing with the ballpark proposal. Bobb later became the City
Administrator of the District of Columbia, negotiating a publicly-financed
ballpark for the Nationals.
Spring Wolff offers to split the cost of a study with the JPA for a new ballpark
proposal next to the Coliseum complex.The plan calls for the JPA to buy the
HomeBase lot along Hegenberger, south of the Coliseum. A ballpark could be
built either on that lot or the Malibu triangular lot adjacent to the Coliseum.
The JPA declines to partner with the As on this.
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Oakland/Wolff-Fisher era
2005
January Wolff says that hes focused on Oakland and will respect established
T-rights.
March Wolff exercises option to buy team for $165 million. He becomes the
managing partner or control person in the new ownership group. Most of the
money comes from John Fisher, the manager of the GAP family fortune. Fishers
father, Don Fisher, started GAP and once had a stake in the Giants.
December As close off upper deck to improve ticket scarcity and stadium
intimacy, to the displeasure of many fans. New Coliseum capacity is less than
35,000 A lawsuit filed by the Raiders against the JPA over advertising revenue
is settled, along with a lease extension for the team through 2010. The As also
wanted an extension through 2013 but were denied.
2006
January Wolff offers a completely different, scaled down plan on two different
site in which the JPA or City buys land north of the Coliseum and turns it over to
Wolff to develop with a ballpark.
February San Jose releases its Ballpark Draft EIR for the Diridon site next to
the downtown train station. City also purchases various properties in order to
assemble part of the site.
March Oakland and Wolff admit that they dont hold each other as major
priorities.
April JPA and Wolff restart lease extension talks with annual options for
2011-13 seasons.
June Former House Rep. Ron Dellums is elected Oakland mayor. During the
campaign, Wolff tells Dellums dont break your pick on a ballpark plan in
Oakland. In hindsight, apparently Dellums took that to mean anything in
Oakland, based on his mayoral record.
naming rights from the Fortune 100 networking giant. The 240-acre ballpark
village would be surrounded by housing, retail, and some office buildings. The
ballpark would seat 30-34,000. Cisco Systems controlledan option to build on
the land as part of their expansion outside San Jose, but chose not to develop
there in the end. Talks with originated with Cisco executives and Wolffs son,
Keith Wolff, in April 2006.
December Wolff and partners start buying up property surrounding Pacific
Commons.
2007
Spring EIR study commences for Pacific Commons. The process is expected to
take at least 2 years to complete.
May As Pacific Commons sign land deal with Cisco and ProLogis.
2008
January As announce that part of the Coliseums upper deck will reopen as an
All-You-Can-Eat concessions section.
April San Jose approves stadium development plan for Earthquakes west of
Mineta SJC Airport.
May Incoming Giants managing partner Bill Neukom reaffirms the teams
territorial rights to the South Bay.
July Wolff considers the Pacific Commons project in flux due to EIR
problems.
August Big box retailers near the ballpark site express concerns about parking
availability and traffic, threaten to hold up project with a previously
unknownveto power via lease clauses.
October With the recession hitting the Bay Area hard, questions arise about
the viability of the Fremont plan.
February Wolff officially ends Fremont efforts, citing process (EIR) issues.
Behind the scenes, the sunken economy was just as responsible, considering that
real estate was meant to provide a sizable piece of the financing mix As move
from CSN Bay Area to CSN California.
April SF Giants buy stake in SJ Giants Dellums meets with MLB committee.
June Santa Clara City Council approves $1 billion 49ers stadium plan Rickey
Henderson speaks out.
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July City of Oakland levies new parking tax at Coliseum, creating conflict with
the JPA and As 49ers/Santa Clara release stadium draft EIR.
August Construction of the BART Warm Springs extension begins, to be
completed and operating by 2015.
September San Jose makes drastic cuts at its Redevelopment Agency as it
winds down activities, awaits state action on future redevelopment.
November New Oakland ballpark sites are revealed.
December Attention in Oakland moves to a site near Jack London Square,
later named Victory Court Cisco CEO John Chambers affirms support for a
South Bay ballparkSFs City Attorney and a Giants-backed Astroturf group
threaten lawsuits against SJ.
2010
February Upper Deck AYCE sections are repurposed as Value Deck (316-318)
San Jose releases Supplemental EIR (follow on to 2006 EIR).
April MLB COO Bob DuPuy visits SJ Lets Go Oakland releases Economic
Impact Report.
June As exercise lease option for 2011-13 years Sharks, SJ reach deal to stop
challenge to ballpark EIR.
July Selig says that hell make a decision on the As at some point then asks
SJ to pull a ballpark measure from the November ballot, which it does.
October Wolff gives $25,000 to Don Peratas campaign for Oakland mayor.
November Perata loses the mayoral election to Council Member Jean Quan.
Wolffs support may have cost Perata.
December Reports indicate that MLBs panel has visited and favors the
Victory Court site, presentation is made Peerless Coffee has no interest in
relocating for VC ballpark Oakland approves EIR funding for VC SJ & AT&T
strike a land deal near Santana Row that could have future effects on the ballpark
site (quid pro quo).
2011
January As state and local governments continue to feel the effects of the
recession, Governor Jerry Brownsignals death knellfor redevelopment.
March As sign 4-year radio deal with Entercom FM station 95.7 (KGMZ) As
SJ creates new post-RDA agency to keep and hold ballpark land, strikes deal with
County in the process.
July Selig takes franchise contraction off the table for future CBA talks.
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August My 5-part interview with Wolff (Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part
5)
September Neukom ousted as Giants CEOOakland City Administrator
Deanna Santana hires 2 new assistant City Admins, Scott Johnson and Fred
Blackwell. All three would be gone within 3 years, not before Blackwell heads up
Coliseum City project A plan to convert some of the general admission Bleacher
seats to reserved seats is not well received, and is quickly taken back by the As
Moneyball the film is released.
October San Jose gives As huge discount on ballpark land.
November Planned capacity for Cisco Field rises from 32,000 to 35-36,000
MLB realignment forces Houston into the AL West, causing year-round
interleague play starting in 2013.
December Oakland unveils Coliseum City project Funding for part of the
BART extension to the South Bay materializes.
2012
January Victory Court plan dies. Oakland looks to EB-5 visa program to
provide funding for some large projects including Brooklyn Basin and Coliseum
City.
February 49ers get $200 million G-4 loan for Levis Stadium.
April 49ers break ground on stadium Coliseum gets fresh paint, signage, and
food items for 2013 season.
May Clorox and other East Bay businesses pledge support for a new ballpark in
downtown Oakland the site is revealed as Howard Terminal.
September New national TV deals provide new revenue through 2021 Cal
Memorial Stadium reopens after a $321 million renovation and retrofit.
January JPA raids scoreboard improvement fund to pay for Raiders study
As and City of Mesa, AZ reach agreement to renovate Hohokam Stadium and
Fitch Park for the 2015 Cactus LeagueMaloofsreach agreement to sell Kings to
Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer.
February Raiders tarp Mt. Davis for 2013 season, new capacity 53,250
Lettergate.
April SJ Mayor Chuck Reed writes letter to Selig Oakland Fan Pledge
launches NBA Board of Governors votes against Sacramento Kings sale and
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move to Seattle Giants to refinance AT&T Park debt and finance new
development across McCovey Cove.
May As-Coliseum lease negotiations stall over unpaid parking taxes Levis
secures naming rights deal for 49ers stadium, stadium is awarded Super Bowl 50.
June Coliseum SewagegatePort of Oakland settles lawsuit with one of its
port operators, SSA Marine, over fees paid to the Port. The settlement paves the
way for SSA to leave Howard Terminal and consolidate operations elsewhere in
the Harbor Don Knauss promotes Howard Terminal on the radioSJ City
Council approves antitrust lawsuit against MLB.
July JPA distributes Coliseum City Football Revenue Study, assuming a
50,000-seat, $700 million stadium MLB retains John Keker of Keker Van Nest
for antitrust lawsuit to face Joe Cotchett of Cotchett Pitre.
September Sewagegate continues.
October Investor group comes aboard for Coliseum City Port points out
issues at Howard Terminal.
November MLB gets involved in stalled As-Coliseum lease talks JPA
approves 2-year lease.
December The Adult Conversation, At Last MLB says As-to-SJ proposal
was rejected before SJ lawsuit was filed Federal judge strikes down most SJ
claims, allows antitrust portion to go to appeals court Howard Terminal
renderings released.
2014
March Port approves Howard Terminal ENA Raiders owner Mark Davis
talks about sharing the Coliseum complex with the As.
April Fred Blackwell quits Oakland City Administrator job shortly after he
takes it, stays on as consultant to Coliseum City Coliseum City infrastructure
estimates range $344-425 million depending on buildout Coliseum City Letter
of Interest deadline passes with no commitment from any team Long term
lease talks begin again, JPA makes 10-year lease counteroffer to As, which is
subsequently rejected JPA reveals that it is in talks with Wolff about developing
the Coliseum in an alternative to Coliseum City Warriors buy Salesforce site in
Mission Bay for arena, drop Piers 30/32 plan.
May MLB owners appoint succession committee for Selig replacement, Selig is
set to retire in early 2015 Rumors begin about Sacramento River Cats changing
affiliation from As to Giants.
June Davis indicates he wants As gone and Coliseum demolished after 2015
season Oakland City Council no-shows vote on lease extension.
July JPA & As agree onextension Selig pulls move threat card Report has
As switching AAA affiliate to Nashville after losing Sacramento City Council
approves amended lease, which goes back to JPA/As and is approved.
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2015
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TRANSITION
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This is the first specific mention of the idea that the ballpark will not be built on the
existing Coliseum grounds. In the 2001 study done by HOK for the As and Oakland, the
Coliseum option had the ballpark built on the north (66th Avenue) side of the park.
Belowis an aerial photo I modified to highlight the new site. The old Coliseum option
would have placed the ballpark directly north of the arena (in the dark parking strip).
Hegenberger Road runs along the right (east) side of the picture. BART is in the upperright corner. 880 (Nimitz Freeway) is west of the arena.
"
The site is around 25-26 acres in size. Most of it has been fenced off to prevent vehicle
access due to frequent use as a site for sideshows and before that, raves. The only active
tenants on the combined site are the Dennys at the NW corner of Coliseum and
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Hegenberger, and the EDD/office building at the NE corner of the lot. Im not clear on
who exactly owns the properties in question, but I should have that info soon enough.
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April 1, 2005
NBC11 REPORT ON SAN JOSE/OAKLAND
On the late NBC11 newscast, it was reported that the Del Monte Cannery site in San Jose
is no longer available, due to San Jose pulling out of negotiations with KB Home on a
land swap. Early next week, San Joses planning commission is due to make a
recommendation on KB Homes planned residential community at the cannery, based
on a completed environmental impact report. The decision was deferred in early March
because the commission felt the need to review new financial documents submitted by
KB Home.
That would leave the Diridon South station as the only truly viable ballpark site in San
Jose (and the best in my opinion). Much of the other alternative, the FMC site, is already
being acquired by the San Jose Airport so its almost out of the picture.
During the same news report, the Coliseum site was mentioned, but only the old parking
lot option, which may not be in play. Oakland City Councilman Ignacio de la Fuente was
interviewed, and while he repeated his stance that Oakland and Alameda County dont
have $400 million to spend, he did mention that there may be a couple of other sites in
Oakland that could be under consideration. A smile curled up from his lips as he
finished his statement. The reporter, Christie Smith, said that the Uptown site was not
available (I tend to agree with this).
That would leave the Coliseum South site as option #1, and the Estuary as option #2,
since Howard Terminal is being used in its entirety by Matson (more on that in a future
post).
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April 3, 2005
BALLPARK PLANS IN MOTION
In addition to the quotes from Fridays post, it looks as exploration is full steam ahead,
according to an article in the Contra Costa Times. The focus is mostly on the Coliseum
parking lot, though theres no distinction between the existing lot and the 8.65 acre
gravel auxiliary lot adjacent to the south lots.
Now, we have to look at whats under the site, Wolff said. Tenants (the Raiders and
Warriors) share this site and we have to talk to them. We have to address the parking
issue.
There are difficulties with any venue of this nature, he added. You will find that to
be the case in any place. Elsewhere in the country, you will run into issues such as
these, too.
In addition, the city got some news on how far the plan is progressing:
Last week, De La Fuente received an indication via a letter from Wolff that some
advancement already has been made.
It was official notice to the (Coliseum Authority) that he has engaged an architectural
firm in Los Angeles to start exploring the possibility of building a stadium in Oakland,
De La Fuente said. Theyre taking the lead on it, and I see that as a reason to be
optimistic.
If they focus on the existing south lot, a ballpark could remove 4,000 spaces. Someone
would have to build a lot of garage parking to make up for the loss. Those parking
garages could cost $6-8 million to build, plus theres the fact that garages dont make for
quality tailgating.
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April 4, 2005
PUSH FOR A WATERFRONT BALLPARK
Chip Johnson of the Chronicle writes in his column that building on
the Coliseum parking lot would be the most expedient, but perhaps not the most
desirable, choice of sites.
He notes that the Uptown site is due for groundbreaking later this month. The best site
would be along the waterfront, anywhere from the Oakland Army Base to the Estuary.
The Army Base does have some potential because it is city owned, but despite the
waterfront feature, its far from downtown and would require a BART station to be built
there. All waterfront sites would also require environmental cleanup, which would cost
in the tens of millions per site, and theres the issue that the City and Port may actually
want to get some amount of money for these sites, since they have some value.
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April 6, 2005
DAVE NEWHOUSE INTERVIEWS LEWIS WOLFF
Small details have emerged. Tidbits from the interview:
Q (Newhouse). Are you encouraged that a ballpark can be built in Oakland?
A (Wolff). I always feel that way, but the biggest issue is pinning down a site, and
were working on that right now.
Q. You mentioned last week that you would be looking at alternative sites: Would that
include something along the estuary?
A. First of all, we dont know how many alternatives there are. What we cant do is
look at a site we cant use because it might take 10 years to get there. The answer is Im
going to do everything I can to find a site.
Q. The Coliseum parking lot, which youre focused on, offers BART and highway
access, but no aesthetic qualities. Would you agree?
A. You havent seen what we plan to build there yet.
Q. What has been your relationship with Alameda Countys Joint Powers Authority
(JPA) to date?
A. They have been very supportive, and I would like to thank both the county and the
city of Oakland. A lot has gone on since our (Friday) press conference, and theyre just
terrific. When I call, theyve responded right away. I see no problem dealing with
them.
Newhouse did his best to pry some steak from Wolff, but all he got was sizzle. Thats
what makes Wolff the consummate professional he is. Hes good.
Q. With the close proximity of sports teams to one another in this country, would
territorial rights stand up in court?
A. Ill never know because Ill never test it.
Its nice to see that Newhouse didnt lob the typical San Jose or Vegas/Portland question
that wouldve gotten the typical response. Wolffs response, as expected, leaves the
territorial rights battle squarely within the San Jose civic and booster groups, making it
a real uphill climb for them.
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April 8, 2005
RICK HURDS Q&A WITH LEWIS WOLFF
In the CoCo Times interview, Hurd inquires about Wolffs relationship with Selig:
CCT (Hurd): You mentioned at Fridays press conference that Mr. Selig approached
you about buying into the As. Would you have been as enthusiastic about it were it not
for your friendship with him?
Wolff: Well, he helped me get involved because he knew me, and he knew Steve and
Ken and what their situation was. What you have to remember is you cant really get
involved in baseball unless the commissioner lets you. My friendship with him was not
the big issue. The big issue was that with this particular team, the downside risk isnt
that huge, but the upside potential is.
CCT: But it seems like without a ballpark solution, this franchise is stuck. Mr. Selig has
expressed doubts in the past about whether this is a viable two-team market, and hes
made his stance that the Giants own the territorial rights to Santa Clara County clear
on numerous occasions. So how do you respond to those who might say your
friendship with him and your choice to buy into the As is a sign the franchise may be
headed out of the Bay Area?
Wolff: Well, Ive never heard him discuss the market, and the issue I think I made
pretty clear at the press conference. Were going to focus on Oakland. Were not going
to do what-ifs. If people want to focus on that, fine. Theres 30 owners in this league,
and Im sure Bud is closer to a lot of them than he is to me. So I think thats a lot of
hogwash really.
Then Hurd went further into the ballpark issue:
CCT: Clearly, finding a ballpark is the franchises No. 1 issue. Youve said you wont
give daily updates, but for the record, can you tell us where you are in that process
right now, and where youd like to be a year from now?
Wolff: No. I want to be consistent on that statement, and I just dont think I need to do
that. The real estate industry is the one area where I really know how to operate, and I
just dont feel thats what I want to do. Otherwise, every real estate broker in the world
will be lighting up my phone. Im not trying to hide anything. It just wouldnt serve
any purpose to comment on it at this time. Thats not to say we wont have things to
say as this process continues.
CCT: The ballpark aside, you talked Friday about thinking outside the box with
regard to operating this team. What other ways are there to grow revenue given the
franchises current state?
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Wolff: Were exploring those things. Im going to have a series of discussions with
(Crowley). We think that there are, but were not sure. Were only into this three days.
CCT: In 1992, when Peter Magowan headed an ownership group that bought the
Giants and kept them in San Francisco, his group faced many of the same problems the
As do now. How similar do you think your current situation is with their old one?
Wolff: I love the ballpark. I think times are different, and a lot of different things have
changed since then. But theyve been able to prove that a great ballpark in a
downtown area does a lot for a community. At the same time, they tried to do it with
100 percent private money. Thats very difficult, and Im not sure you could get
anything built today entirely on private money. But I was at that park on Opening
Day a few years ago, and it was just wonderful. I think if we were able to do
something like that in Oakland, it would have a very high impact.
CCT: What has changed?
Wolff: Thats an entire discussion in itself. But the economic and political landscape
are always changing.
Wolffs responses are carefully constructed as to not give the appearance of a
commitment to any one idea (site, funding sources, timeline). The proposal(s) will come
along soon enough. One refreshing thing I can see from Wolffs press conference and
interviews is that he doesnt seem to be the type who will negotiate through the media.
Hes doing his necessary rounds with the media, then hell go right back into silent
mode. The quote confirming the lodge mentality of the commish and owners is
unexpected, though not surprising.
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Thats not to say that acquiring a station will be easy. Once any station goes on sale,
literally hundreds of suitors line up for a shot. Existing behemoths such as Clear
Channel and CBS/Infinity/Viacom have tons of cash to throw at any acquisitions. An
open auction process could drive the price up for either or both stations. KNBR also has
a 2% minority stake in the Giants, which further complicates things. Breaking the two
stations apart and allowing them to compete would be good for the listening public and
potentially reduce any conflict-of-interest issues. Buying KTCT would cost the Wolff/
Fisher group millions of dollars, but it would guarantee the As a stable home on local
radio for years, if not decades to come. That cant help but raise the value of the
franchise.
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with the suites stacked on one side of the building and the seating bowl cantilevered
around them, making for better, lower sight lines. 360 designed Miamis American
Airlines Arena, which is notable for a special innovation: floor suites. Jacobs Field in
Cleveland has a version of this in their Dugout Suites, covered front-row seats between
the dugouts at the same elevation as the dugouts. Behind the seating area are the
individual suites, below the lower seating bowl. This type of seating would most
certainly demand a premium.
Gensler has a wide ranging portfolio, but little sports venue experience. My guess
is that theyll work on concourses, public spaces, and fan-oriented areas. In an effort to
escape the drab gray that dominates the Coliseum, a new ballpark would be bright and
full of color.
With venues, you want the next new one to be better than the last new one.
The standard-bearer currently is Petco Park, though its likely that the new DC and
Minneapolis ballparks will be completed in the next 3+ years. Better also often means
more expensive, which could drive up the price of the project. I can see Wolff trying to
limit the amount of concrete thats poured, while maximizing revenue within the space
as much as possible.
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The Coliseums out based on the power lines issue and conflicts with the Raiders
and Warriors. It may also be because he saw the limited development potential and
balked, thinking the cost wasnt worth the return. Saying Downtown is not in the cards
really means the Uptown site is not feasible. Thats probably because its too far along
the development timeline to scrap it.
What does that leave? The Estuary site for starters. Then perhaps the OUSD and
Laney College sites. All 3 have been profiled here, and all 3 have development issues to
overcome. The Kaiser Convention Center just closed down so it may become available,
but the sites too small to house a ballpark unless other land is acquired. Howard
Terminal is locked into a long-term lease agreement.
The old Army Base in west Oakland is a possibility, but it would require a new
BART station, site cleanup, and a buyer for the required property. Based on the
activity that occured after the closures of Treasure Island, Alameda NAS, and the
Presidio, its not the most expeditious process.
There are also sites that may be available that are currently active or in use, such
as some of the light industrial area that lines I-880 between Downtown and Jack
London Square. Acquisition costs for such properties would be the big issue there.
I dont know what to make of the public help is necessary comment. Ill ask the
reporter myself about that.
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teams going the price-hike route (Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs, Giants) while few others have
managed to keep prices reasonable despite having a new or renovated park (Angels).
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