Alameda to contribute hotel tax funds toward hosting FIFA World Cup team
Alameda officials pledge up to $150k in hotel taxes for improvements at Roots SC training grounds; A special election could be coming to the Tri-Cities this fall; BLee's first mayoral opponent emerges
☕️MORNING BUZZ
—The City of Alameda plans to allocate up to $150,000 from its Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT)—commonly known as the hotel tax—to support upgrades at the Oakland Roots’ training facility on Bay Farm Island, in hopes of hosting a FIFA World Cup national team next summer.
The Oakland Roots aim to raise $700,000 in preparation for the event, with total improvements to the facility estimated at $5 million.
The site, once used by the Oakland Raiders, is being considered by FIFA as a training base for a national team that will play matches at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
Roots officials recently pitched the project to the Alameda County Mayors’ Conference, emphasizing the potential prestige and economic boost of bringing a men’s national team to the East Bay.
They’ve also asked neighboring cities like Oakland and Berkeley, as well as Alameda County, to contribute financially.
Alameda currently has 672 hotel rooms and 264 short-term rentals. City staff estimate that if these accommodations reach full capacity during the month-long tournament, TOT revenues could hit $225,000, based on the city’s 14 percent hotel tax rate.
A more conservative projection puts the increase at $132,000 in added revenue, according to city staff.
Alameda is no stranger to hosting high-profile international teams. In 2013, it served as the base for Artemis Racing of Sweden, and Luna Rossa of Italy during the America’s Cup yacht race in San Francisco.
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