The San Francisco Business Times, citing a letter obtained from the Port of Oakland, reports that Oakland Roots SC has been selected as a finalist alongside Industrial Realty Group to redevelop Howard Terminal.
The Port will now begin hashing out an exclusive negotiating agreement with both parties. The letter includes a recommendation to pursue an exploratory agreement with Roots and the Industrial Realty Group.
Chief real estate officer Lydia Tan said she is excited to work with the Port of Oakland on the next steps.
“We’re excited to work with the Port of Oakland on next steps toward negotiating an exclusive negotiation agreement to explore redevelopment opportunities at Howard Terminal for a stadium for Oakland Roots and Soul SC,” Tan said. “This would be an important step in evaluating a long-term home for the club, subject to further discussions and approvals.”
Industrial Realty Group is a Los Angeles-based real estate development and investment firm. The Business Times, citing a source with knowledge of the project, reports the group proposed a traditional commodity-based maritime use.
Roots and Soul announced its initial proposal to build a permanent stadium in Howard Terminal in December 2024, which featured a 15,000-seat temporary modular stadium while the permanent 25,000-seat stadium is being built. Roots and Soul president Lindsay Barenz and Tan discussed their proposal at the time, describing the two-stage process.
“Our proposal is actually a two-stage proposal. Our Phase One proposal would be a modular stadium, very similar to the Malibu site, but a bigger 15,000 capacity stadium, which we think is right size for us right now as a team. But as we grow, the renderings for Phase Two are a 25,000-capacity stadium. That’s the goal,” Tan said.
In 2024, Barenz made clear they would “largely” fund their own way and some infrastructure at Howard Terminal would be eligible for public funds.
“We plan to principally pay for the stadium through private sources of equity. There are some infrastructural things that may be eligible for public funding at the site, but largely it would be privately,” Barenz said.
Roots are currently playing at the Coliseum in 2026, but their future in 2027 is unclear.
Back in a September 19 Joint Powers Authority meeting, JPA executive director Henry Gardner mentioned that Roots requested to play for two years (2026 and 2027) at the Coliseum. However, the JPA considered 2027 to be “highly problematic.”
“We received their request in April [2025], and they had asked for two years. We saw that as being highly problematic, and so we have had a number of meetings with them,” Gardner said.
Becoming a finalist at Howard Terminal opens the door for a temporary stadium in 2027 when their time at the Coliseum runs out. In January of last year, the organization announced they put an end to their plans for a stadium at the Malibu Lot on the Coliseum grounds, shifting focus to their long-term plans.
Without a confirmed home in 2027, Howard Terminal is now on the forefront as the best possible outcome for Roots and Soul.
We’ll provide more coverage on Roots and Soul at Howard Terminal as the news becomes available.