The move, along with a decision to scratch a presentation on the baseball stadium from the agenda, has sparked criticism from stadium proponents, who say that city officials are ruining the chance of getting a new stadium in Oakland.

The exclusive agreement would prohibit city officials from discussing development plans with any other party, including the Oakland Athletics, on the site, which is located north of City Hall along Telegraph Avenue.

City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente says that the baseball team has not expressed an interest in the uptown site, and adds that the city can't afford to put everything on hold at the location, especially when there's the possibility of movement on the long-dormant, blighted corridor.

"The A's haven't made any decision -- or any commitment -- they've made no indication that they want an uptown stadium,'' De La Fuente says. "I don't know why these people want the A's to force the decision.''

The council gave approval to the exclusive negotiating agreement with Forest City in closed session earlier this month. At a July 9 meeting of the Community and Economic Development Committee, an amendment was passed calling for the agreement to allow the city to keep negotiating with the Oakland A's about a baseball only stadium.

However, a report from CEDA staff signed by City Manager Robert Bobb, a proponent of the new stadium, recommends that the city council not expand the agreement with Forest City to include the baseball team. The report says that the proposed inclusion "negates the objective of exclusivity because it would permit the (Redevelopment) agency to negotiate simultaneously with Forest City and the Oakland Athletics.''

The report also says that the amendment would also be costlier and take more time, since Forest City would have to consider the effects of the ballpark in an environmental impact document.

So far, the baseball team has kept quiet when it comes to talking about a location for a new ballpark. At a news conference earlier this month, team co-owner Steve Schott dodged questions about the team's preference for a new home.

City officials are expected to approve a five-year lease extension agreement with the Athletics that would allow the baseball team to keep playing at the Oakland Coliseum until 2007, with a three single-year extension options.

According to De La Fuente, accepting the lease extension is as far as the city can go with the A's until the team makes further indications of its plans.

Instant Insights /

City Reconsiders Exclusive Stadium Agreement

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