Update:
Oakland City Council officially voted 7-0 on the purchase agreement of the Malibu Lot and Harbor Bay Parkway properties from Alameda County. Now, the action of today’s City Council will lead to a final passage on May 7 to officially finalize a purchase.
As for whether Alameda County is on board with the plans, councilmember Rebecca Kaplan confirmed their current approach at both sites is at the discretion and value appraisal of the county.
We’ll provide more information on the Malibu Lot and Harbor Bay Parkway facility in the coming week.
Today, April 30, Oakland City Council has called a Special Concurrent Meeting to authorize ordinances for the City of Oakland to purchase the Alameda County’s 50 percent interest in the Malibu Lot and Harbor Bay Parkway training facility.
According to the Agenda Report, councilmember Rebecca Kaplan recommends that the City Council adopts an ordinance authorizing city administration to negotiate and execute a purchase of the Malibu property at 8000 South Coliseum Way for $8,700,000 and a $11,850,000 purchase of 1150 and 1220 Harbor Bay Parkway. The City of Oakland will then sell its ownership of the Harbor Bay Parkway training facility to Prologis L.P. for $24 million.
Alameda County and the City of Oakland continue nearing a deal that will allow the city to purchase the county’s 50 percent share of the Malibu Lot and training facility on Harbor Bay Parkway in Alameda, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
It’s worth mentioning there was a listed Alameda County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, April 23 to negotiate terms for both locations.
Earlier this week, Alameda County officials notified the City of Oakland they are, in fact, open to offering its 50 percent stake in both sites. The Chronicle’s Eli Rosenberg indicates the county’s offer was sent by Alameda County’s general services agency’s director Kimberly Gasaway, who was listed on the Tuesday meeting agenda.
Alameda County will request $8.7 million for its share of the Malibu site and $11.85 million for the Harbor Bay Parkway training facility, to which Oakland previous stated they are willing to pay. Rosenberg writes Oakland officials are moving forward with an ordinance “next week” in front of City Council to authorize the city’s purchase.
The last we heard on April 16, Alameda County supervisor Nate Miley laid out a plan where the two parties would negotiate a land-swap deal that would keep the Malibu Lot in the county’s possession toward auctioning off their parcel. However, Roots and Soul president Lindsay Barenz quickly rebuffed.
City of Oakland chief of staff Leigh Hanson then called in, proposing the city would buy both the county’s shares.
“We’re not supportive of a decision to proceed with the auction, we believe its a distraction from our current negotiation. We understand that the three-party negotiations are very challenging and so, in an effort to expedite that, the city is offering to buy out the county on Malibu as well as Harbor Bay,” Hanson said. “The best and most expeditious way forward is for the supervisors to either pass a motion or direct staff to come to terms with the city regarding the city taking ownership over both Malibu and the Harbor Bay facility…”
Terms of the deal include Oakland paying for the Malibu site through revenues generated from its use, while they will pay upfront for training facility. Once the city’s purchase is complete, they will finalize its sale of the property to Prologis for $24 million to initiate the company’s lease back to Roots, Soul, and Project 51O.
Back in February, the City of Oakland detailed plans of selling the property to Prologis, who will in-turn lease the facility back to Roots and Soul in a long-term deal, including an option to buy down the road.
Prologis’ purchase of the 5.45 acre plot of land includes 1220 Harbor Bay Parkway, where Roots and Soul currently train, and the former Raiders’ office space at 1550 Harbor Bay Parkway. Roots and Soul would inherit a portion of the former Raiders’ office space, per team sources, which gives the location further viability to host teams for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Rosenberg writes City of Oakland officials heard from soccer representatives from a top-tier World Cup team who said they will likely chose the Harbor Bay Parkway facility as its training location in 2026.
Roots and Soul still await Alameda County approval to play at the Coliseum for its 2025 season after the Joint Powers Authority voted unanimous approval in March. Most recently, support came out in droves for April 16’s board meeting, where 45 minutes of speakers urged the county to move forward with Coliseum, Malibu Lot, and Harbor Bay Parkway plans.
We’ll provide more information on Roots and Soul’s stadium and training facility as the news becomes available.