With AASEG's urging, county supes seek stay in Coliseum Surplus Land Act lawsuit

County supervisors, however, asked AASEG for financial terms of their deal for the Coliseum, and received nothing; Three county elected officials get two years tacked on to their current terms

COUNTY NEWS

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

—TIMEOUT—The Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted in closed session on Tuesday to join the A’s in asking a Superior Court judge for a 60-day stay in a lawsuit over the county’s sale of the Coliseum complex to the departing baseball franchise.

—The African American Sports & Entertainment Group (AASEG), the group that recently purchase the city of Oakland’s half of the Coliseum, has a deal to purchase the A’s half of the property.

—But the case of Esther Goolsby; Communities for a Better Environment v. County of Alameda; Coliseum Way Partners, LLC, asserts the county’s sale to the A’s violated the state’s Surplus Land Act, which stipulates the county must make an effort to offer the 120-acre public property to local entities willing to construct affordable housing.

—The lawsuit was filed in Alameda County Superior Court in 2021, and scheduled to be heard this month.

—Although, county supervisors agreed with AASEG’s request for a stay, they appeared skeptical about the group’s financial proposal for the Coliseum.

—The Goolsby case was heard in closed session at a special board meeting on Sept. 12. Alameda County Counsel Donna Ziegler, in a read-out of the closed session, urged AASEG to provide financial terms for its purchase of the Coliseum.

—However, AASEG did not provide the information, Ziegler told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

—Instead, Ziegler said AASEG provided a document that “regurgitated” biographies of its members and Loop Capital, the firm tasked with locating investors for the proposed $5 billion housing and entertainment development.

—AASEG also wants the county to add them to the disposition agreement for the Coliseum deal with the A’s.

—Although the county’s request last week was clear, Ray Bobbitt, managing partner for AASEG, said their intent at recent board meeting was simply to lobby the county for a stay, not to provide a full proposal of the Coliseum, which would take time, he told the Board of Supervisors.

—The exchange highlights the fact that AASEG, despite growing public perception that its bid for the Coliseum is complete, has failed to adhere to financial milestone set forth in the original term sheet with the city of Oakland for the same property.

—411 ON THE 510—Become an East Bay Insiders subscriber today and get full access to the inside scoop every weekday morning at 6 a.m. It’s what the insiders read.

MORE INSIDE(RS):

• COUNTY NEWS: Three elected county officials will receive an extra two years in office

• County Reparations Commission’s duties extended to mid-2026

• CITY NEWS: Two Oakland councilmembers want to temporary increase contribution caps

• SF seeks injunction to block Oakland Airport’s new name

• Contract terms for Dublin’s next city manager

• CAMPAIGN FINANCE: IEs begin spending spree for Grayson and Fife