A’s offer on another Las Vegas site, have setback in Oakland

The offer comes after the A’s received an unexpected blow in their attempt to build in new baseball stadium in Oakland.

The Seaport Planning Advisory Committee on Wednesday did not recommend ending the maritime use of Howard Terminal, a necessary step for the A’s to proceed with plans for a $12 billion waterfront development. The project would be centered around a $1 billion ballpark.

All the sites of interest in Las Vegas are in or near the resort corridor, with some involving joint-venture partnerships. Others would entail the A’s buying the land outright.

“We have a couple of options in both camps and we’re trying to get to a final decision on one as soon as we can,” Kaval said. “We have a couple of options that are east of the (Interstate 15) and a couple of options that are west of the 15.

“I think there’s some benefits to being similar to the Raiders’ setup. Where you’re still in the resort corridor, but it makes it a little easier for locals to get to. … But there are also really exciting opportunities to be right on the Strip. That’s kind of a Hallmark location.”

Kaval wouldn’t identify any of the five sites, citing confidentiality agreements with the land owners. But he did cross a couple of previously mentioned sites off the list.

Off the table are the UNLV-owned plot of land on Tropicana Avenue just east of the Strip and land owned by Wynn Resorts on Las Vegas Boulevard.

A’s officials are now reviewing each site and weighing the pros and cons of each.

“One of the key factors as we finalize this site is the timing,” Kaval said. “Sites that have already been thoughtfully designed and/or planned for, have a leg up.

“Some of the other options may require demolition or other things that are going to require longer. You have to weigh that, because that could be another year before you can open.”

Setback in Oakland

The Seaport Planning Advisory Committee’s recommendation about Howard Terminal is not the final say on the matter. The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission has that authority. The commission will consider the committee’s decision whenever it votes on the proposed project and land use.

That vote could come at the committee’s June 2 meeting, where a required two-thirds vote is needed to allow for the project to remain alive.

“The larger body is statutorily required to vote yes or no by July 7,” Kaval said. “If they voted no on July 7, the entire project would be dead.”

Kaval compared the recommendation to the college football season, where every loss counts.

“You get an early season loss and then you just can’t lose anything else,” Kaval said. “We kind of have to run the table in Oakland for it to work. When you have a setback like this, it is pretty difficult.”

More from Oakland

Aside from the port approval, the A’s still also need to come to a binding agreement on a term sheet for the project with the Oakland City Council. The two sides remain apart on several key issues of the term sheet approved by the city last July. Those items are affordable housing, community benefits and infrastructure funding.

“The ball is in the city’s court,” Kaval said. “We’re still waiting to get documents from them. All the way back to when they voted on that term sheet last summer, they never actually sent us a definitive set of documents of what that even meant.”

With the lockout over and some notable player transactions out of the way, Kaval said he and other A’s executives plan to return to Southern Nevada in the near future.

“It’s important for people to understand that effort is still underway (in Las Vegas) and a lot of energy is still being put forth,” Kaval said.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.