Bryan Parker says he still prefers a 
waterfront ballpark for the A’s

OAKLAND | MAYOR | Oakland mayoral candidate Bryan Parker is urging the City Council to approve the contentious 10-year A’s lease deal and not play a “high-stakes game of chicken with an owner who has already suggested he does not want to be in Oakland.”

Parker slammed his mayoral opponents involved in the deal Thursday, Mayor Jean Quan and Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan, for opposing then supporting the lease deal that will keep the A’s at O.co Coliseum at least until 2018. “I certainly understand wanting the best deal possible for Oakland, however, having all but lost the Warriors, Oakland leadership still does not get the sense of urgency needed in such matters,” said Parker.

Media reports Thursday included comments from Quan who now supports the lease deal some believe is inequitable to taxpayers because it ultimately lowers the teams rent over the course of the deal and absolves the A’s of disputed parking taxes the team withheld from the city and county.

Parker, however, maintains the best location for a new ballpark in Oakland is at Howard Terminal, near Jack London Square. Parker is also a Quan appointee to the Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners, which owns the waterfront property. Earlier this spring the Port approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with a group of Oakland business people to potentially build a ballpark on the waterfront. A’s ownership, however, prefers the current Coliseum site.

“Waterfront or Coliseum, I would rather see the A’s in Oakland than not at all,” said Parker. “Lesson is that our leaders must lead, lead with urgency and try to be understanding of the business concerns our partners bring to the table.”

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