Editor's note: The above video is from January 2016.
The A's still plan to cast their net wide when it comes to potential Oakland ballpark sites, even after Thursday's tour of the Howard Terminal site at the Port of Oakland.
"Our tour of Howard Terminal went well. We have examined and continue to examine this location and other potential Oakland sites, including the existing Coliseum site," a club statement obtained by CSN California read. "Howard Terminal has many positive attributes but also has its challenges. We will continue to evaluate its feasibility, as well as the viability of other locations throughout Oakland."
Thursday's tour included only A's officials, majority owner John Fisher among them, and representatives from the Port.
[RATTO: A's touring possible stadium site mostly waste of everyone's time]
A ballpark built at Howard Terminal, near Jack London Square, is viewed as ideal by many because of its waterfront location, perhaps giving the A's an answer to the Giants' AT&T Park right across the Bay, which is considered one of the crown jewels of Major League Baseball venues.
Oakland Athletics
Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf is among those championing the Howard Terminal location. One benefit of the A's building there, from the city's point of view, is it would leave the Coliseum complex to the Raiders to potentially build a football-only stadium. The Raiders are taking aggressive steps in attempting a move to Las Vegas, and Los Angeles remains a possibility as well. With the Warriors far along in plans to move to San Francisco by the 2019-20 NBA season, Oakland could be in jeopardy of losing two of its three major sports franchises.
But Howard Terminal has its drawbacks as a ballpark site, including environmental issues and concerns about a lack of parking and public transportation. The Bay Area News Group reported last winter that city officials also approached the A's about potential ballpark locations at the site of Laney College and an area near the West Oakland BART station.
Thursday's tour was not the first the A's have taken at Howard Terminal, which has been discussed as a potential location in past years.
Meanwhile, there remains no tangible proof of the A's making headway toward any location as a spot where they might build, continuing a ballpark search that has been ongoing for more than a decade.
"We know that this is a long, often frustrating process, and we thank our wonderful fan base for its continued support and patience," the A's statement read. "We are expending significant time and resources to reach a resolution as soon as we can.
"We greatly appreciate the Port of Oakland's assistance with (Thursday's) tour and the continued support we have received from the City of Oakland and Alameda County."
