A group of Oakland progressives led by former Oakland mayoral candidate Pamela Price wants the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee to oppose the city's proposed sale of its half of the Coliseum complex to the Oakland Athletics.
Pushback by the Alameda County Democratic Party toward the proposed deal would be a significant development in the quest to build a new ballpark at Howard Terminal. The A's intend to develop the existing 120-acre Coliseum complex for housing, offices and open space.
The resolution brought to the Alameda County Democrats resolution committee asks local party officials to oppose the sale between the City of Oakland and the A's on the grounds that it will "potentially create economic devastation and blight to East Oakland."
The resolution, sponsored by Price and the East Bay Democratic Club, is similar to talking points offered previously by the International Longshore Warehouse Union, who assert a ballpark at the waterfront will lead to the loss of high-paying jobs at the Port of Oakland. The Howard Terminal site near Jack London Square, however, is vacant.
The proposed $85 million price tag for the Coliseum property is also below market value, according to the resolution, "and at discounted price, could deprive the city of hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue, while unjustly enriching a billionaire family at our expense."