City of Oakland’s Draft EIR creates path forward for Oakland A’s privately financed project at Howard Terminal
OAKLAND, Calif. — The City of Oakland’s Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR), which the City released today, offers an incredibly thorough analysis showing the path forward for the Oakland A’s privately financed project at Howard Terminal that will be important to the environmental, transportation, and housing future of Oakland. The Draft EIR illustrates how current and future Port activity and a new neighborhood can not only coexist but also thrive.
“The release of the Draft EIR is another important step forward in the process of building a new privately financed ballpark at Oakland’s Howard Terminal,” said Oakland A’s President Dave Kaval.
The analysis shows, along with the plans the A’s have unveiled, how a once-in-a-generation project like this can contribute to the health and vitality of Oakland, including improved infrastructure and transportation solutions, measures to improve air quality, and supplying additional housing.
The Draft EIR outlines the following key areas:
Opening the Waterfront to the Community
- Creates public waterfront access and more than 18 acres of new waterfront parks and open space areas
- Improves Oakland’s resilience against sea-level rise
- Transforms an industrial site into a sustainable community at no expense to taxpayers
Forward-looking Transportation Plan
- A transit-first approach, the plan reduces car trips by 20 percent, expands public transportation options, and invests in bike safety and infrastructure, pedestrian walkways and bridges
- Separates ballpark and development transportation from Port of Oakland traffic to safeguard the Port and provide greater efficiency for trucks to access the Port
Caring for the Environment for Generations
- Includes measures aimed at improving air quality in surrounding communities, achieves net zero greenhouse gas emissions, and provides numerous other long-term health benefits for residents
- Invests in electric vehicle chargers, solar options and public transportation
- Reduces truck pollution from the neighborhoods
Creating Homes for Oaklanders
- Proposes 3,000 homes, including affordable housing, in an area that the City of Oakland designated as a “Priority Development Area” in the Plan Bay Area 2040 vision for long-term growth
“The Athletics are the last professional sports team in Oakland,” said Kaval. “We employ thousands of Oakland and Alameda County residents, and local businesses, the City, and County derive significant economic benefits and revenue from our games. While the release of the Draft EIR is a great milestone, it is imperative that the City Council take a vote on the project this year. We look to the City for their support and partnership to keep the A’s in Oakland for generations to come.”
For more information on the A’s new ballpark plans, visit WeAreRooted.com.