The Athletics notched a huge victory on Thursday in their quest to build a waterfront ballpark at Howard Terminal.
By a vote of 23-2, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) has voted in favor of removing port priority use from the Howard Terminal site.
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Essentially, the vote means that the land Oakland intends to use for the project is not needed for port usage, one of the seemingly many obstacles the project already has and will need to continue to overcome.
If the BCDC did not vote in the A's favor on Thursday, the Howard Terminal project would have died.
In a statement released following the vote, Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf expressed her support for the decision.
Thursday's vote by the BCDC is another hurdle cleared after the project received a 6-2 vote in favor of certifying the environmental impact report back in February.
What's next for the A's and the Howard Terminal project? Many more hurdles remain, including applying for permits with the very same BCDC, approval from the State Lands Commission and the Port of Oakland as well as a remediation plan submitted to the Department of Toxic Substances Control. (h/t The Athletic)
Oakland Athletics
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The organization also faces multiple lawsuits, with potentially more on the way.
In addition to those hurdles, it also is recommended that the project be put to an advisory vote by Oakland residents in November. Oakland also is requesting that Alameda County enter into an infrastructure financing district (IFD), which would pay for infrastructure improvements in the city. Eventually, what could end up being the final obstacle, are the negotiations over a developer agreement and community benefits package.
Many obstacles remain, but Thursday's vote was a huge victory for the project and a step in the right direction for a ballpark at Howard Terminal.