How A's potential departure to Las Vegas will impact Oakland's economy, community

ByCornell Barnard KGO logo

Friday, April 21, 2023

How A's departure to Las Vegas will impact Oakland's economy

It's more than baseball. The economics of the A's apparent departure will impact Oakland in many ways... some of which will be hard to ignore.

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Even if you're not a baseball fan, the economics of the A's apparent departure from Oakland may be hard to ignore. From jobs at the coliseum to little league team uniforms, the impact of the team has been deep-rooted in Oakland.

"It's going to be a shot in the arm for the economy, in terms of a negative shot," said Alameda County Board of Supervisors President Nate Miley.

Miley was getting real Thursday about losing the Oakland A's, he says it will hurt.

"Definitely a hit to the economy, there are jobs at the coliseum Union jobs, people depend on those jobs, if we built a new stadium those would be construction jobs as well," Miley said.

Here's a breakdown of what led up to Oakland A's decision to purchase land for a new stadium near the Las Vegas Strip.

Speaking of that proposed ballpark, ABC7 News Insider Phil Matier says Howard Terminal came with a cost the city likely could not afford.

"It's one of those things, we're not going to get the jobs or the biggest building project the West Coast has seen in decades but on the other hand Oakland won't be on the hook like raiders for hundreds of millions of dollars," Matier said.

Save Oakland Sports, the group committed to keeping the Raiders, Golden State Warrior and the A's in Oakland, says it's a blow.

"It's a huge economic loss to lose the A's and what it means to have a major league baseball team in your city," said Chris Dobbins from Save Oakland Sports.

Mayor Sheng Thao said that negotiations with the A's to stay in the city are over and that Oakland was used to get a better deal in a different city.

Alameda Little League president Ron Matthews says the A's have been great supporters of little league teams in Oakland and Alameda for the past eight years, supplying uniforms to 24 teams every season at the cost of $8,000.

"They've been a great partner to us. It's a terrible thing to happen to kids, me, adults. it will affect our bottom line," said Matthews.

Visit Oakland said in a statement, "While the A's decision to move is disappointing, this will not break our Oakland spirit. Our strong resilient community will continue to proudly celebrate all the amazing things about the Town. This is what makes Oakland so incredibly special."