Athletics sign 10-year lease to remain at Coliseum
By Mike Marteny
The Oakland Athletics have signed a ten year lease to remain at the O.co Coliseum through the 2015 season.
The list of problems of the O.co Coliseum are long and well documented. From sewage problems to light outages, this remains arguably the worst professional stadium around.
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The A’s have lobbied Major League Baseball for permission to leave Oakland and build a new stadium in San Jose, where the 49ers’ new facility is, or somewhere in the Silicon Valley region.
Commissioner Bud Selig has not yet ruled on whether or not they will be allowed to, but has stated several times that the current Coliseum site is the best site for a new stadium in Oakland.
Whether this lease renewal is a step towards that remains to be seen.
The Oakland Raiders also use the Coliseum for football, and their lease is up at the end of the year. This could be seen as a roadblock towards the Raiders getting a new stadium, but could open the door to them leaving Oakland.
The problem that the Raiders and A’s seem to run into is that their San Francisco brethren, the 49ers and Giants, rule the sports roost in the bay area. They are the ones who appealed to Commissioner Selig to make the A’s stay in Oakland.
Athletics owner Lew Wolff expressed his interest in wanting to stay in Oakland, but also wanting a new stadium.
This lease renewal can be seen as a gesture of good faith. Now, they are just waiting on the city to let them build a new one.