SFGate: Matier & Ross: “Secret” Meeting Held On A’s Port-Ballpark Plan

Those in attendance included Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, City Administrator Deanna Santana, City Council President Larry Reid, Alameda County Board of Supervisors President Nate Miley, County Administrator Susan Muranishi, plus a delegation of high-profile ballpark boosters led by Clorox CEO Don Knauss and developer Mike Guilmetti.
For months, Quan and company have been publicly touting the idea of building the new ballpark next to the Oakland Coliseum as part of a huge sports, housing and retail complex.

But this meeting focused on a waterfront ballpark—most likely at Howard Terminal at the Port of Oakland.

The idea would be for the cash-strapped port to sell the land for a badly needed $40 million—a move Quan might now be able to swing after her recent appointments to the Port Commission.

Although not stated at the meeting, the message was that—contrary to what A’s managing partner Lew Wolff says—the town does have a viable plan and site, and if he is not interested in staying, then the team should be sold to someone who is.

The blue-ribbon committee also met a day earlier with San Jose officials about the status of their ballpark plans.

Hey, guys: how about a floating ballpark?? (Too bad there’s no access to international waters, where even the Giants can’t claim territorial rights…)