A’s, City of Oakland fail to reach Coliseum lease deal

(KRON) — The Oakland A’s, the City of Oakland and the County of Alameda were back at the negotiating table Tuesday morning, discussing a possible extension to the A’s lease to play at the Oakland Coliseum. The current lease expires in 2024.

With the A’s proposed new stadium in Las Vegas not expected to be ready for at least three years, the team will need a place to play in the interim. The City of Oakland has proposed that the A’s pay $97 million for a lease extension of up to five years.

That deal was not accepted today by the A’s but talks continue.

“We appreciate Oakland’s engagement and also we are far apart on the terms needed to agree on an extension,” an A’s spokesperson told KRON4.

The A’s have also made it clear that they have other options. They are also looking at playing at minor league ballparks in Sacramento and Salt Lake City. The team is expected to seek a deal that is best for them. As part of the city’s proposal, Oakland wants the A’s to give up their 50% ownership in the Coliseum so the property can be developed.

Oakland also wants the A’s to cover the cost of converting the Coliseum field from baseball use to soccer use so that the Oakland Roots and Soul can play home games there. Oakland is also asking the A’s to choose from one of the following options in order to facilitate the deal:

• The A’s must leave behind the team name, colors and branding when they move to Las Vegas
• Oakland must get assurances from MLB that the city will get an expansion team
• The A’s must facilitate the sale of the team to a local owner

According to KRON4’s sources, they believe there is a path to an agreement between the parties. However, the city’s proposal must be competitive for the A’s to extend their lease at the coliseum.