Oakland A’s waterfront ballpark plan gets a key nod from Alameda County

  Efforts to keep the A’s in Oakland got a boost late Tuesday night when the Alameda County Board of Supervisors tentatively agreed to opt into a plan that would pave the way for a new waterfront ballpark .

The board’s 4-1 non-binding vote signals the county’s intention to join the city in forming a financing district to contribute a significant portion of property taxes generated by the project to pay for the infrastructure of a new ballpark as well affordable housing, public parks and other components of a planned village at the Port of Oakland’s Howard Terminal site.

For months, city officials have implored the county to participate in the financing plan, which they said is crucial to keeping the A’s in Oakland because the team has flatly stated it doesn’t intend to remain at the Coliseum site after its lease expires in three years. The team has been threatening to move to another area, possibly Las Vegas, if it’s not reimbursed for project infrastructure costs.

“Tonight’s vote by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors is a historic action that creates a clear path to keep the A’s rooted in Oakland and build a world-class waterfront ballpark district that will benefit Bay Area residents for generations to come,” Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a written statement issued immediately after the supervisors’ vote.