In 2019, the Golden State Warriors left Oracle Arena for the Chase Center in San Francisco. The year after, the Raiders left Oakland for the second time in franchise history. On May 2022, MLB gave the Oakland Athletics the green light to explore relocation plans to Las Vegas.
Oakland will soon be without a major sports team calling it home.
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Oakland A's Negotiation Shutdown
The City of Oakland is ceasing negotiations with the A's after news broke out that the team has signed a binding purchase agreement for a site in Las Vegas.
"In a time of budget deficits, I refuse to compromise the safety and well-being of our residents. Given these realities, we are ceasing negotiations and moving forward on alternatives for the redevelopment of Howard Terminal.”
— Sarah Ravani / سارا (@SarRavani) April 20, 2023
"Oakland has been a great home for us for over 50 years, but we really need this 20-year saga completed and we feel there's a path here in Southern Nevada to do that." This, according to A's President Dave Kaval in an interview.
The A's have been in Oakland since 1968 after it moved from Kansas City.
The plan is to beat the MLB deadline to finalize a new ballpark deal by January 2024, just about when A's contract with the RingCentral Stadium expires. Mayor Sheng Thao is proud of the city's new infrastructure investments surpassing $375 million. Yet the stadium seemingly continued to deteriorate. Issues such as broken plumbing and seats, mold buildup, and moth infestation are but some of the many enumerated by Kaval in a team letter to stadium authorities.
"I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished as a City, including securing a fully entitled site and over $375 million in new infrastructure investment that will benefit Oakland and its Port for generations to come."
— Sarah Ravani / سارا (@SarRavani) April 20, 2023
In 2022, the A's are last in attendance by a wide margin: they draw an average of 9,973 fans, helped probably by relocation rumors and star players getting traded. The league average is 26,843.
Barring setbacks, construction can start that same year in Las Vegas. The A's aim to open the season at their new home in 2027.
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