Oakland Roots and Soul Sports Club has officially submitted a proposal to turn its training facility on Harbor Bay Parkway in Alameda into a modular stadium, per a City of Alameda agenda item set for June 22.
In the agenda item, Roots and Soul propose to host soccer matches for 3-5 years at their headquarters and training facility. This includes modular stands with a capacity of up to 8,000 attendees and temporary facilities to host approximately 24 matches and “other smaller sporting events.”
Per the proposal, Roots and Soul would host another 10 soccer matches and other sporting events with
“up to 2,500 attendees,” and events up to 500 attendants, which would effectively cover Oakland Soul in the W League and Project 51O’s seasons. The proposed project overview lists 20 to 24 Oakland Roots matches, five to seven Oakland Soul matches at 1,500 attendants, and three to five other sporting events between 500 and 2,500 patrons.
But aside from the club hosting its own matches, the proposal also mentions Roots hosting youth, high school, and college sports, as well as summer camps, corporate events, and adult league games.
“Beyond professional soccer matches and sporting events, the Roots also expect to host youth, high school, and college matches. Summer camps, corporate events, and adult league games may also be considered. The Roots are not proposing to host concerts or music festivals at the site,” per the agenda item.
Under conditions of the approval, Roots would host up to 25 large events with a max of 8,000 attendees, up to 20 medium-size events with up to 2,500 attendees, and an unlimited number of small events with up to 500 attendees.
Roots and Soul fans got a glimpse at what a gameday experience will look like during the Australian National Team’s open training session on June 3, which featured food trucks and merch tents similar to their new prospective plans. The June 3 event also provided an example of what the parking situation would be, where patrons used the adjacent businesses surrounding the facility.
“No new parking facilities are proposed to serve the interim venue. The Roots propose to rely on shared parking agreements with adjacent and nearby business park properties whose parking lots are primarily empty on evenings and weekends. There are approximately 4,000 parking spaces that are within reasonable walking distance in the business park. On-street parking is currently prohibited in the business park. The Roots are in conversation with the owners and tenants of many of those lots. Parking spaces would be reserved when tickets are purchased, so specific information can be provided for each vehicle driver. Primary vehicular access to the site is provided by Ron Cowan Parkway and Harbor Bay Parkway, which is immediately adjacent and connects directly to Hegenberger Rd. and 98th Ave., and to Doolittle Drive, respectively,” per the proposal.
Roots and Soul are also offering shuttles from “remote” parking lots, the Coliseum BART station, and a valet bike parking: “Shuttles would be provided for remote parking lots and to the Coliseum BART station. The Roots are working with Bike East Bay to provide valet bike parking for matches,” per the agenda item.
Roots and Soul would still pursue its permanent site at Howard Terminal while they play at Harbor Bay Parkway. The organization notably had its third meeting with the Port of Oakland on June 11 to negotiate the price and terms of payment.
Until then, the facility at Harbor Bay Parkway is shaping up to be the club’s new stadium site, given the future at the Coliseum in question. Per the agenda item, they anticipate construction of the modular stadium to be completed over a six-month span in three phases — meaning the location would likely be on track to host USL Championship games in time for 2027.
Back in a September 19 Joint Powers Authority meeting, executive director Henry Gardner mentioned that Roots requested to play at the Coliseum in 2026 and 2027. However, the JPA considered 2027 to be “highly problematic.”
In the JPA’s board package item set for today, June 12, Gardner explained that the Coliseum is operating at a deficit “with and without” sports teams. This may shed some light on why Roots playing at the Coliseum was considered, by Gardner’s words, problematic.
“Over the years, with and without the sports teams, the cost to operate the coliseum has outweighed the surplus. The surplus does not cover the original subsidy paid by the City and County every year,” wrote the JPA in its recent board package.
Roots arguably has the highest-quality training site in all of the USL Championship, using the former NFL facility and headquarters of the Raiders. The wheels have already been turning for the club in Alameda, hosting mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft on June 3’s Australian practice.
The blog spoke with Socceroos and New York City FC midfielder Aiden O’Neill at the June 3 session, who called Roots’ facility “top class.”
“The facilities here are top class. I’ve been to quite a few in America now, and sports
are so big here; some of the facilities we go to are incredible. This is the same; it’s a top
site, and we’re lucky to be here,” O’Neill said.
Australian National Team and Colorado Rapids defender Lucas Herrington
“We have a great training facility here with the Oakland Roots, it’s really nice. They are a USL team with an awesome facility; it has everything we need. We’re very lucky to be here,” Herrington said.
We’ll provide more on Oakland Roots and Soul’s stadium developments as the news becomes available.