The Oakland Athletics are one step closer to building a new ballpark.

Oakland city officials approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with the A’s to study building a new stadium at the Coliseum complex, the team’s home for the last 50 years.

That negotiating agreement decision means that the A’s are now studying two possible stadium sites in Oakland.

The Port of Oakland commissioners voted last month to approve an exclusive agreement with the A’s to explore building a stadium at the Howard Terminal site, northwest of Jack London Square.

And there’s the Coliseum site.

The A’s hope to be playing in a new ballpark by 2023.

Here is the full statement from Alameda County:

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors congratulates the City of Oakland on signing an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) with the Oakland A’s over a proposed new stadium on the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum properties, an agreement we believe is in important step in keeping the baseball team in Oakland. 

To expedite this process, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors reaffirms its long-standing offer to sell the County’s 50 percent share of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum complex to the City of Oakland at a price based on a 2016 appraisal of the properties.

“Alameda County is making what we consider a generous offer to the City of Oakland in the belief that selling our share of the Coliseum properties provides timely opportunity for an agreement that would keep the Oakland A’s in Oakland,” said Wilma Chan, President of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors.

County leaders continue to negotiate a sale of their share of the Coliseum properties in the wake of expressions of interest by the A’s to purchase the land to build a new home stadium there.  Alameda County strongly believes that negotiating such a purchase and a plan for future development of the Coliseum properties would be simplified – and more likely successful – if the properties had a single owner.   

Since the City of Oakland ultimately controls land use related to the Coliseum properties, Alameda County believes the City should be that single owner.  Alameda County officials are basing a sale on a 2016 joint City-County appraisal of the properties despite the fact that the parcels would certainly be appraised at a higher value today.  To facilitate the sale, the County is willing to accept the nearly 2-year-old appraisal since conducting a new one would slow the process.

“We think this offer is especially timely now that the Oakland City Council has approved an ENA with the A’s for the Coliseum properties,” said Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, who also chairs the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority board.

For more than 50 years, Alameda County and Oakland have jointly owned, operated and managed the Coliseum complex, the home of three championship franchises – the A’s, Oakland Raiders and Golden State Warriors.  Alameda County and Oakland also jointly own rights to the Raiders training facility and headquarters in the City of Alameda.

Over the past several years, all three teams have sought new home stadiums.  While both Alameda County and Oakland have been committed to keeping the teams in Oakland, efforts to retain the teams have been complicated by the joint ownership of these properties.

“We are excited about the City’s approval of the ENA with the A’s and congratulate them on taking this important step forward in the quest to keep the team in Oakland,” said County Supervisor Scott Haggerty, also a Coliseum Authority commissioner. “The County’s generous offer will facilitate and expedite the City’s efforts to achieve our shared goal of keeping the A’s in Oakland.

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