May 1st: Keeping The A's In Oakland Community Advisory Meeting

Used via Flickr under Creative Commons, www.flickr.com/photos/jjandames/4545260694/

Used via Flickr under Creative Commons, www.flickr.com/photos/jjandames/4545260694/

San Jose continues to move forward with its efforts to acquire the Oakland A’s. The city is awaiting a vote this week to approve $4.6 million dollars that would go towards the construction of a ballpark which could be the new home of the A’s once Major League Baseball committee decides whether owner Lew Wolff should move the team.

$24 million dollars has been already invested into the project by the city to buy the land where the ballpark would be built. It's believed that another $70 million would have to be invested to make San Jose’s dream of owning a baseball team come true.

San Jose is currently experiencing a $116 million dollar deficit, and hundreds of layoffs. So, this attempt to bring the A’s to the city does have it benefits; but some residents believe that there are higher priorities to focus on. If the team doesn’t make the move to the South Bay, 14 acres of that land could be turned into homes, offices and business that could pump money into the city.

Back here in Oakland, City Council President Jane Brunner will hold a community advisory meeting to explore ways to keep the A’s in Oakland. The meeting will be held from 10 am-12pm, May 1 at Peralta Elementary School

.If you have questions you'd like OL to ask at the meeting, please post them here or send them to stephen@oaklandlocal.com

Stephen Allen is an East Oakland resident and an OL student intern who loves to write and hopes to become a professional journalist one day. He's performed with Youth Speaks and writes poetry as well as blogs and news articles. Currently attending Laney College and majoring in Journalism, Stephen has decided to stay in Oakland after finishing his A.A. degree in the Spring. He's also the mastermind behind Oakculture.com which is a website dedicated to showcasing the unique cultures that make Oakland the city it is.