Ex-MLBer Stewart submits $115M bid for share of Oakland Coliseum site

Former Oakland Athletics pitcher Dave Stewart submitted a $115-million bid to purchase the city of Oakland's share of the Oakland Coliseum site, he told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Stewart, who's from Oakland and played with the Athletics for eight seasons, would like to develop the location and potentially build a new stadium for the team if its plans to erect a ballpark at Howard Terminal don't come to fruition.

"I grew up right there and I've watched what's happened in East Oakland," Stewart said. "East Oakland seems like a forgotten area.

"My thought was, 'Why should people there have to go to San Francisco for nice restaurants or stores?' If there is going to be affordable housing there, why not nice restaurants and shops - and you create employment opportunities. Why wouldn't you create a city within the city and revive the area?"

Stewart acknowledged that he talked with Athletics president Dave Kaval about how the Oakland Coliseum site can be used and that he's open to working with the club, according to Slusser.

The 63-year-old didn't get into the details of other investors involved in his bid.

Oakland city council voted in June 2020 to start negotiating the sale of its half of the location with the Athletics.

The team has proposed building a waterfront stadium at Howard Terminal, but it likely won't be able to open a new ballpark by the 2023 campaign. The lease for the Oakland Coliseum ends in 2024.