Latest news with #AASEG
CBS News
08-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Oakland City Council adjusts timeline for sale of Coliseum
The sale of the Oakland Coliseum, long characterized by fits and starts, took another incremental step forward Tuesday when the Oakland City Council voted to align its process with that of Alameda County. In what was basically a scheduling adjustment, council members approved the second reading of an ordinance that allows the city to close the sale of its 50 percent ownership of the Coliseum by June 30, 2026. That is the date already set by the county, which sold its 50 percent share of the property to the former Oakland Athletics baseball team but still has decision making authority regarding the sale. The African American Sports and Entertainment Group has penned agreements with the A's and Oakland to acquire both shares at $125 million apiece. The 2026 sales date allows the county to pay down the remaining bonds attached to the property, the title to which can't be transferred until the bonds are paid off. The extended timeline also gives Oakland and county officials time to wind down the joint powers authority they use to manage the facility, said AASEG co-founder Ray Bobbit. "This gives everyone time to plan things out," Bobbit said Wednesday. "The good news is that everybody is on the same page at this point." The county, widely seen as moving at a sluggish pace during the sales process, approved a draft term sheet with AASEG in January and then had 30 days to finalize the deal. That deadline, however, passed without an announcement from the county, which has been skittish over potential liability for any possible hazardous waste cleanup at the 112-acre site. County officials also want assurances that it won't be on the hook for a lawsuit by the nonprofit Communities for a Better Environment challenging its initial sale to the A's over state rules that require local authorities to prioritize affordable housing on surplus public land.
CBS News
13-02-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
NBA All-Star weekend prompts Oakland to clean up problem areas
With the NBA All-Star weekend just a few days away, the cities of San Francisco and Oakland are getting ready for the festivities. In Oakland, the city has been working with community groups to clean up the Hegenberger corridor near the Coliseum, plus the Oakland Police Department is stepping up security in the area. Driving along the Hegenberger corridor in East Oakland near the Coliseum, it's obvious there is an effort underway to put the city's best foot forward. "When I am driving, I do see that the streets are kind of clearer, even with the, they had a whole bunch of trailers and stuff like that, like I can see that they are making a difference," said Michelle Beacham. She was born and raised in Oakland and still lives in the east part of town. She also works at an office only a few blocks from the Coliseum. She said she's frustrated it took the NBA All-Star weekend for the city to address some of the issues residents have been complaining about for years. "You guys want to clean it up because people are coming here now for an event to bring money, but what about us, the people who live here every single day? Those people are going to be here for the weekend then go home while we're stuck with it. It's going to go back to how it was," she said. The city, along with community partners like AASEG, the ownership group trying to buy the Coliseum property, as well as PG&E and some local motorcycle clubs have organized clean-ups to pick up trash in the area. The city has also fixed dozens of broken streetlights in the area and the Oakland Police Department will have a greater presence in the area. "That is one of the strategies we want to put in place is to have enough officers out there so people not only feel safe, but they see the presence of law enforcement and know they can't come in and commit frivolous crime in the city throughout these events," said Deputy Chief Casey Johnson of OPD. Oakland Police along with the Alameda County Sheriffs, BART PD and CHP will have additional staff in the Coliseum area as well as downtown as well as areas historically known for sideshow gatherings. "There will be traffic enforcement in areas where we see bad actors. People, we're not going to be specific for sideshows, but we will be specific for people who are speeding or running stop signs or engaging in a sideshow," said Assistant Chief James Beere. Residents like Michelle say they just wish this kind of engagement could happen year-round and not just during special events. "People are scared to come here, like Oakland has such a bad reputation now and we are such a beautiful city and it's just unfortunate," she said. Community groups are hosting another cleanup session along the corridor Thursday morning from 9 to noon ahead of the celebrity game on Friday, and the HBCU Classic on Saturday.
