Oakland A's 10-year extension deal far from done

Laura Anthony Image
ByLaura Anthony KGO logo
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Oakland A's 10-year extension deal far from done
What was supposed to be a meeting of the Joint Powers Authority to approve the extension turned into a big no-show by two Oakland City Council members.

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Two days after Major League Baseball and the Oakland A's announced a 10-year lease extension was done, it appears it's not. That caught city officials by surprise, so on Friday, they said in their own way, "Not so fast."

What was supposed to be a meeting of the Joint Powers Authority to approve the extension turned into a big no-show by two Oakland City Council members, part of a planned boycott because, in their view, it's a deal that's far from done.

The missing board members were Rebecca Kaplan and Larry Reid.

"There's not one member of the city council that wants the A's to leave. We want them to stay here in our city, but we also want to make sure that this business deal is one that's in the best interest of all the parties," said Reid.

"Because the council members aren't here today, because they were instructed not to come, we cannot take action today and for that I'm extremely, extremely, extremely annoyed and upset," JPA chairman Nate Miley said.

So the deal that was announced as done two days ago clearly isn't. "We were surprised by an announcement that they were done," Mayor Jean Quan said.

Quan is not on the JPA, but her city will have to approve any lease agreement with the A's. "There are still some unresolved issues and they have to just get through them," Quan said.

"We understand that the city will take one last look at the deal early next week, and we expect a formal vote by the JPA by the end of the week," said A's owner Lew Wolff in a statement to ABC7 News.

Then there are those who say Oakland and Alameda County shouldn't commit to Wolff until he fully commits to them.

"You guys really, in your right minds, think this guy's ever going to build something in Oakland?" Oakland fan Brian Dixon asked.

JPA now plans to vote on an A's lease extension at a special meeting next Thursday.