Elephant Rumblings: Court rules Howard Terminal EIR was adequate

Mar 31, 2023 - 2:00 PM

Happy Friday, Athletics Nation!

The future of the Oakland Athletics took on a brighter hue on Opening Day with a significant ruling by the First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco. Per Sarah Ravani at the San Francisco Chronicle, a lawsuit filed by the East Oakland Stadium Alliance was largely rejected by the court, clearing a significant hurdle in the way of the proposed $12 billion Howard Terminal ballpark development.

The court determined that the city must address adverse wind effects that may result from the development, but ruled that the environmental review that was certified by the Oakland City Council was otherwise adequate.

Both the A’s and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao applauded the ruling. Thao stated that “we are now one step closer to reaching our goals” to “upgrade our infrastructure so we can support sustainable and resilient communities and promote economic development.”

However, another big hurdle remains as there is still an expected funding gap, possibly nine figures wide, for infrastructure improvements to support the project. Oakland and the A’s continue to negotiate on how to bridge the shortfall, but time is running out to reach an agreement. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has imposed a year-end deadline for both sides to reach a deal, and the A’s are ratcheting up the pressure on the city by pursuing a “parallel path” relocation to Las Vegas.

A’s baseball in the East Bay remains imperiled. I still don’t know how likely it is that we’ll get a new stadium at Howard Terminal and extend the Oakland era of A’s baseball for another 55 years, but yesterday’s development is decidedly positive.

A’s Coverage:

• Toster: Muller delivers, A’s spoil Ohtani gem on Opening Night
• Willis: Oakland Athletics officially announce Opening Day roster
• Willis: Freddy Tarnok to begin throwing program
• Willis: JP Sears lined up for Tuesday start against Guardians
• Ravani: A’s, Oakland win significant legal victory for Howard Terminal ballpark ($)
• Shea: What MLB’s new rules mean for Giants, A’s and the brand of baseball you’ll see ($)
• Castillo: Trout robbed! Stat highlights improbable Ruiz catch
• Rodriguez: What experts are predicting for A’s during 2023 MLB season
• Gallegos: On Opening Day, A’s help make dreams come true
• Castillo: May was ‘miserable’ as starter before transition to reliever
• Brazil: Five intriguing A’s headlines to watch in 2023 season
• Thanawalla: Speedy outfield prospect Ruiz makes A’s Opening Day roster

MLB News & Interest:

• Adams: Mets Place Justin Verlander On Injured List
• Rosenthal: Rosenthal’s 10 biggest MLB storylines: Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, the Mets and more ($)
• Hoffman: Baseball Moves Quickly, and Gets Its First Pitch Clock Violation ($)
• Slusser: Aaron Judge crushes Opening Day HR vs. Giants after explaining picking Yankees over S.F. ($)
• Gordon: It’s a Really Weird Time to Be an Umpire ($)
• Today in Baseball History

Best of Twitter:

Roster moves.

Martinez in the pen for now.

Opening Day memories..no salami last night but it was a good one nonetheless.

Sullivan tweets excitedly about the next chapter in his career.

Kemp leading off in efforts to cure blindness.

HBD, Ryan Noda!

Big, gray buddies.