Bay Area

Oakland Needs a Level Playing Field

Build It at the Coliseum and They Will Come!

Published

3 years ago

October 1, 2021

Isabelle Price

Oakland, CA,USA - May,1, 2013: This is O.co Coliseum.（2011-2016）

Something stinks about the Oakland A’s claim that the Oakland Coliseum is an unfit site for a new baseball stadium. Why can’t the Oakland A’s build a new state-of-the-art stadium, entertainment venues, and affordable and market rate housing at the Coliseum? Is it because the Coliseum is located in a predominately Black community?

This moment presents a great opportunity to bring major construction and new life to the people of East Oakland. Oakland’s progressive City Council must not fall for the A’s bullying threat that they will leave town if they don’t get a sweetheart deal to build a new stadium and luxury condos at Howard Terminal. If the A’s won’t build at the Coliseum, and help the people of East Oakland, let them leave.

The Coliseum was constructed in 1966. Ever since, loyal fans have attended games at the Coliseum without incident. Never once has a major incident occurred because the Coliseum is surrounded by Black folks. The only fights we know about were between Raiders fans. So, what are the A’s afraid of?

Look at the facts. We have heard claims that the Coliseum may have water table issues. Are they telling us that a waterfront stadium won’t have water issues? The stadium’s field could be lifted higher and leveled.

They say fans want a downtown stadium with easy access so they can attend games after work. Howard Terminal is not downtown, and it does not have easy access. To get to Howard Terminal, fans will have to dodge trucks and trains on busy road and rail routes. At one point, the A’s acknowledged that fact and offered up a gondola system, but we have not heard of that recently. Probably because they realized it does not make sense. (Imagine 15,000+ people trying to get in a gondola after a night game.)

By comparison, the Coliseum is located next to a BART station with a link to Oakland International Airport and it has an Amtrak stop right next door for out-of-town fans. The Coliseum also has adjacent bus routes along with freeway access and vast parking.

The A’s say they need to build luxury condos to help finance stadium construction costs. By implication, they are saying they could not sell luxury condos in the area where the Coliseum is located. This is the same kind of nonsense we heard years ago. Back then, we were told that major developers would not build anywhere in Oakland. Well, look around.

Consider this as well. The A’s threaten that if they don’t get their way, they will move to Las Vegas. They back up that threat with visits to alternative sites in Nevada. That belies their claims that they must have a downtown waterfront stadium. None of the potential Las Vegas sites are downtown and there are no waterfronts in the entire state.

The Coliseum has it all. It has been a successful venue for decades. It has great access. It is in a tax-favored enterprise zone. It is shovel-ready with none of the major environmental requirements that complicate the Howard Terminal site. Further, building at the Coliseum would be a life-changing boost to people living in an area that desperately needs major development.

The Oakland A’s have had a proud history in Oakland’s Black community. It brought us great heroes like Vida Blue, Rickey Henderson, Reggie Jackson, John “Blue Moon” Odom, Dave “Hendu” Henderson, Claudell Washington, Mike Norris and Dave Stewart who did much to promote Blacks in baseball and the well-being of our African American communities. Oakland was once a major incubator for future Black baseball stars. No longer! The A’s snub of East Oakland will cause the deterioration of Black baseball fans in Oakland to accelerate.

It is a shame that corporate greed is spoiling a wonderful history. We hope John Fisher and Dave Kaval wake up and see that their insulting behavior hurts Oakland’s Black community, baseball, and themselves.

In the coming weeks, this paper will continue to look at issues surrounding the A’s new stadium. Articles, opinions and commentaries will focus on Howard Terminal’s potential for gentrification of a historically Black neighborhood, disruption of industrial businesses, elimination of family sustaining wages, raiding of hundreds of millions of dollars of public funds that should be used for services like homelessness, housing for very low-income residents, public safety, street repairs, fire safety, how disrespecting black communities has led to significant erosion of Black support for baseball throughout the nation, and more. Please stay tuned and please raise your voice.

We want the A’s to build at the Coliseum. That would be great for the community, the team, and the relationship between A’s and Major League Baseball and Black people! If the A’s choose not to build at the Coliseum, perhaps they can sell the team to the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG) or a similar qualified owner group that would be happy to build a state-of-the-art stadium, entertainment and housing at the Coliseum. AASEG wants a level field where everyone in East Oakland has a fair and equal chance to succeed.

We do, too!

Isabelle Price

Posts by Isabelle Price

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Activism

S.F. Black Leaders Rally to Protest, Discuss ‘Epidemic’ of Racial Slurs Against Black Students in SF Public School System

Parents at the meeting spoke of their children as no longer feeling safe in school because of bullying and discrimination. Parents also said that reported incidents such as racial slurs and intimidation are not dealt with to their satisfaction and feel ignored.

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church. Photo courtesy Third Baptist Church.

By Carla Thomas

San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church hosted a rally and meeting Sunday to discuss hatred toward African American students of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church, along with leadership from local civil rights groups, the city’s faith-based community and Black community leadership convened at the church.

“There has been an epidemic of racial slurs and mistreatment of Black children in our public schools in the city,” said Brown. “This will not be tolerated.”

According to civil rights advocate Mattie Scott, students from elementary to high school have reported an extraordinary amount of racial slurs directed at them.

“There is a surge of overt racism in the schools, and our children should not be subjected to this,” said Scott. “Students are in school to learn, develop, and grow, not be hated on,” said Scott. “The parents of the children feel they have not received the support necessary to protect their children.”

Attendees were briefed last Friday in a meeting with SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne.

SFUSD states that their policies protect children and they are not at liberty to publicly discuss the issues to protect the children’s privacy.

Some parents said they have removed their students from school while other parents and community leaders called on the removal of the SFUSD superintendent, the firing of certain school principals and the need for more supportive school board members.

Community advocates discussed boycotting the schools and creating Freedom Schools led by Black leaders and educators, reassuring parents that their child’s wellbeing and education are the highest priority and youth are not to be disrupted by racism or policies that don’t support them.

Virginia Marshall, chair of the San Francisco NAACP’s education committee, offered encouragement to the parents and students in attendance while also announcing an upcoming May 14 school board meeting to demand accountability over their mistreatment.

“I’m urging anyone that cares about our students to pack the May 14 school board meeting,” said Marshall.

This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate Program. The program is supported by partnership with California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.

Oakland Post

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Bay Area

Mayor London Breed: State Awards San Francisco Over $37M for Affordable Housing

On April 30, Mayor London N. Breed announced San Francisco has been awarded more than $37.9 million in funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) as part of the State’s Multifamily Housing Program (MHP). The HCD loan will provide the final funding necessary for development of Casa Adelante – 1515 South Van Ness, a 168-unit affordable housing project located in San Francisco’s Mission District.

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed (File Photo)

By Oakland Post Staff

The HCD loan will provide the final funding necessary for development of Casa Adelante – 1515 South Van Ness, a 168-unit affordable housing project located in San Francisco’s Mission District.

The new development at 1515 South Van Ness Ave. will provide 168 affordable homes to low-income families, formerly homeless families, and persons living with HIV earning between 25-80% of the San Francisco Area Median Income (AMI).

In addition, the project is anticipated to provide family-friendly amenities and ground floor community-serving commercial spaces that preserve the prevailing neighborhood character of the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District.

“This funding unlocks our ability to move on building affordable housing units for families in San Francisco at a crucial time. We understand the level of need for more housing that is accessible, and like the state, the city continues to face a challenging budget cycle,” said Breed. “1515 South Van Ness is a good example of what can be achieved in San Francisco when you have strong community partnerships and an unwavering commitment to deliver on critical needs for our residents.”

“From the beginning of my term as Supervisor, I have fought to bring affordable housing to 1515 South Van Ness” said Supervisor Hillary Ronen. “In the interim, the site has been utilized for homeless services and shelter, and I am thrilled that HCD has recognized the value of this development, and we are finally ready to break ground and bring 168 affordable homes to low income and formerly homeless families in the Mission.”

Owned and occupied by McMillan Electric Company until 2015, the City and County of San Francisco purchased 1515 South Van Ness Avenue in June 2019 with the intent of developing new affordable housing.

In November 2020, the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) released a Multi-site Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking qualified developers to build affordable housing on the site, and subsequently selected Chinatown Community Development Corporation (CCDC) and Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) in May 2021 to develop the site.

The project is expected to begin construction in winter 2025.

“A strong, long-term push by Mission advocates to make this site 100% affordable is now paying off, with 168 family units that include services and childcare. People of color communities know what they need, and we are excited to be in partnership with a team, consisting of MEDA, CCDC, and MOHCD, that listens,” said Malcolm Yeung, Executive Director at CCDC.

“We are excited to be in partnership with CCDC, yet again, and for the opportunity to develop intergenerational affordable housing in the City’s Mission District,” said Luis Granados, executive director at MEDA.

Increasing housing affordable to lower-income and vulnerable residents is a key priority in the City’s Housing Element which calls for additional funding for affordable housing production and preservation, as well as Mayor Breed’s Housing for All Executive Directive that sets out the steps the City will take to meet the bold goal of allowing for 82,000 new homes to be built over the next eight years.

Tuesday’s funding announcement emphasizes the importance of regional and state collaboration in order to reach our housing and climate goals.

“We are thrilled—not just to bring a project of this size to a community with great need — but to do so with community-based developers and their partners who understand the neighborhood and sensitivities around cultural preservation,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez.

Oakland Post

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Bay Area

East Bay Regional Park District Issues Rattlesnake Advisory

The East Bay Regional Park District released an advisory today on rattlesnakes, which emerge from winter hibernation in early spring and become more active. Warm weather can bring more potential for rattlesnake encounters with humans and dogs, particularly along trails and roads.

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

The Northern Pacific rattlesnake is the species found in East Bay Regional Parks. Courtesy photo.

The Richmond Standard

The East Bay Regional Park District released an advisory today on rattlesnakes, which emerge from winter hibernation in early spring and become more active.

Warm weather can bring more potential for rattlesnake encounters with humans and dogs, particularly along trails and roads.

Visitors are encouraged to avoid hiking alone in case of an emergency, to scan the ground ahead as they walk, jog or ride, stay on trails avoiding tall grass, and to look carefully around and under logs and rocks before sitting down. Keep your dog on your leash to be extra safe, park officials said.

If you encounter a rattlesnake, leave it alone – it is unlawful to capture or harm one. Move carefully and slowly away or around it and give it plenty of space, park officials said.

Those who are bitten by a rattlesnake are instructed to stay calm by lying down with the affected limb lower than the heart, then having someone call 911.

Getting medical attention is critical.

Those bitten should not use tourniquets, “sucking,” or snake bite kits. If you are by yourself, walk calmly to the nearest source of help to dial 911, do not run.

If bitten by any other type of snake, wash the wound with soap and water or an antiseptic and seek medical attention.

Not sure what bit you? Check the bite for two puncture marks (in rare cases one) associated with intense, burning pain, which is typical of a rattlesnake bite. Other snakebites can leave marks without associated burning pain.

The Northern Pacific rattlesnake is the species found in East Bay Regional Parks. Snakes are important to the natural environment, helping to control rodents and other reptile populations. But enjoy them from afar.

For more information, download the Park District’s Common Snakes brochure or watch our Gopher Snake or Rattlesnake video to learn how to tell the difference between rattlesnakes and gopher snakes. Additional information is available at ebparks.org/safety/wildlife-encounters.