The Oakland Athletics and the City of Oakland appeared to be far apart on reaching a deal to keep the team there, but after MLB Commissioner Bud Selig granted the team permission to leave Oakland, the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority approved a new deal by a 6-2 vote Thursday morning, bringing the two sides one step closer to keeping the team in Oakland for the foreseeable future.
Carolyn Jones of the San Francisco Chronicle shared the email Athletics co-owner Lew Wolff sent to the city once he received permission from Selig to move from Oakland.
"“I was informed tonight that Commissioner Selig, due to the possibility of not having the hearing and vote that we were purported to receive from the JPA, that we will immediately be allowed to seek a temporary or permanent location outside the city of Oakland.”"
City councilman Noel Gallo told Jones that sides worked tirelessly through the night to reach a deal.
"“I think this agreement will be fair. It might not be perfect, but I think it’ll be good for Oakland and the region in the long run.”"
The new lease deal is reportedly worth ten years and would keep the A’s in the Oakland Coliseum through 2025. The deal is not yet official, given it still needs approval from several city bodies, but Thursday’s vote appeared to be a step in the right direction.
The proposed deal would see the rent decrease over the ten years, starting at $1.75 million and declining to $1.25 million at its conclusion.
The Coliseum was built in 1966 and is the only professional sports facility to house both an NFL and MLB organization. The aging facility has experienced an array of issues of late, including electricity issues that impacted the stadium lights and multiple sewage issues.