Athletics plan to build new $500M-plus stadium near Laney College

The Oakland Athletics have moved forward with plans to build a privately financed stadium near Laney College, team officials confirmed on Tuesday, according to Phil Matier and Andy Ross of the San Francisco Chronicle.

"Finally, we've got our site," team President Dave Kaval said. "It's really the strongest location when it comes to private financing, and that's really an important component to be successful."

If everything goes according to plan, the organization is hopeful to open the 2023 season in its new ballpark, which is expected to cost over $500 million. Additionally, the A's still need support from the Oakland City Council in order to cover added financials for the stadium.

The land near Laney is 13 acres and is located near downtown, which proved to be one of the factors in the choice. Officials also considered the current Oakland Coliseum site, as well as a piece of land close to the waterfront.

With the Oakland Raiders moving to Las Vegas, once the A's leave, the Coliseum could turn into a community sports park and urban youth baseball academy, a partner of Major League Baseball. Any such transformation would need to be approved by the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum Authority.