MESA, Ariz. - The Raiders' approval to leave Oakland and relocate to Las Vegas comes as the A's are contemplating where to build their own ballpark in Oakland, with the Coliseum site one of the options.
The A's issued this statement Monday after the Raiders got the green light from NFL owners to bolt for Vegas:
"We understand the Raiders' need for a new stadium. Oakland is an incredible sports town and we would be sorry to see them leave. We commend the city's and county's efforts to keep the Raiders in Oakland. The Mayor and her team have worked incredibly hard to save the franchise. We are focused on, and excited about, our efforts to build a new ballpark in Oakland and look forward to announcing a location this year."
The Raiders have one-year options to continue playing at the Coliseum for the 2017 and 2018 seasons, and they plan to do so.
The A's, meanwhile, are choosing between four different locations in Oakland to build a new venue - the Coliseum, Howard Terminal, a site near Laney College and one near Brooklyn Basin.
The Raiders' decision to leave doesn't necessarily mean the Coliseum moves into the lead for possible options for the A's to build. The site is viable, and there's great BART and freeway access. The Coliseum could be considered the safest option, perhaps, because it's a tried-and-true site that has hosted three professional sports teams for decades. The A's know what they're dealing with there.
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But the A's also want a thriving entertainment area around their new ballpark, wherever that might be. That sort of "neighborhood" would have to be built from scratch at the current Coliseum site, which is isolated from the multitude of restaurants and bars that exist around AT&T Park, for example.
