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Elephant Rumblings: A’s avoid another obstacle in Howard Terminal ballpark quest

MLB news roundup

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Port of Oakland’s Howard Terminal Photo by Jane Tyska/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images

Good morning, Athletics Nation!

Baseball news has cranked up to ludicrous speed over the past week, as the reality of an upcoming season sets in and the beginning of spring training approaches in just a few days. But aside from the rush of player transactions, and rule changes, and schedule tweaks, the Oakland A’s also got a fresh piece of stadium news in their quest to build a ballpark at Howard Terminal.

The latest update comes from Sarah Ravani of the S.F. Chronicle, who reports that the A’s had a court decision go their way. A lawsuit against them in the Alameda County Superior Court, filed by a coalition of local industrial associations that opposes the Howard Terminal ballpark project, was not successful in challenging the team’s ability to perform a necessary Environmental Impact Report. Click the Ravani link for more details.

The previous chapter in the ballpark saga came a few weeks ago, when Dave Stewart entered the bidding to purchase part of the Coliseum complex. The team already owns a half-share of the site they currently play on, but the City of Oakland owns the other half and it’s up for bid; the A’s are also attempting to buy it so they can wholly own the location.

The club had originally committed to open a new park in Oakland by 2023, but the timeline has been stalled both by the coronavirus pandemic and some local opposition. It’s not yet clear what kind of chronology to expect at this moment, but it least it’s not not moving forward anymore.

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