African American Sports and Entertainment president Ray Babbitt addresses the media at the Oakland Airport Hilton. Babbitt and AASEG intend to purchase the Oakland A’s half of the Coliseum property and also the other half from the City of Oakland (African American Sports and Entertainment file photo)
That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:
#1 Amaury, Alameda County’s sale on half it’s share at the Oakland Coliseum is due to go through on May 14 when the Oakland A’s are scheduled to make the final payment of the property at $85 million. However a lawsuit has been filed in Alameda County court for Sep 24.
#2 The lawsuit filed by Communities for a Better Environment who are a California non profit environmental health group say that team owner John Fisher in the sales agreement ignored the Surplus Land Act which is mandated by state law.
#3 The A’s who purchased half of the Coliseum site back in 2019 in the event that if their new ballpark site at Howard Terminal falls through they could go back to the Coliseum. The A’s later claimed the Coliseum was unfit for baseball but the A’s plan to continue with the purchase.
#4 The A’s are currently in negotiations to sell their half interest to Oakland group the African American Sports and Entertainment Group. AASEG is also negotiating with the City of Oakland to purchase their half of their interest to develop, residential, commercial and sports.
#5 Ruby Acevedo an attorney for the environment group CBE said the county could argue that the SLA is regularly ignored statewide however Acevedo state there is case law that the counties would take demand letters seriously. CBE is asking for the county to engage in housing development for affordable housing. Affordable housing was an issue with Fisher when it was a requirement for his ballpark village at Howard Terminal.
Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
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