Oakland A’s Master Plan

Role: Designer

Type: Urban Planning

Grimshaw

Description

When Oakland city officials gaze at Howard Terminal, a swath of industrial land checkered with asphalt lots and shipping containers, they see a future A’s ballpark flanked by a performance theater, a 400-room hotel and a vibrant checkerboard of housing and retail. Yet for all the jobs and tax revenue it will generate, the development presents an urban planning quandary. Unlike the Coliseum, which is adjacent to a BART station, the Howard Terminal site is isolated. It’s a mile away from three BART stations and constrained by railroad tracks and a waterfront.

One of the biggest challenges for the project was how to activate the waterfront and corridor adjacent to the rail tracks. The strategy was to create an active Waterfront Park, an Industrial Alley for artists and innovators in the Oakland Community, and a shopping corridor for Makers in the community to have art on display. A major feature of the project was around activating the ballpark during off season by creating a little league ballpark. The process and objectives identified were as follows:

Taking the position of questioning what makes a successful site? Through research, we found community benefit, program mix, and flexibility to be key factors.

Community benefit - a resilient Oakland that is rooted in “Made in Oakland,” Health and recreation, and ecology. Tapping into the existing fabric of cultural and creative industries. Health and wellness as one of the major foci providing access to outdoor recreation through sport adjacency to the ballpark, trail connection, and diversity of open space program.

Through ecological design, creating an ecosystem and habitat, and making green education and technology accessible to all. Promoting Green Infrastructure to Reduce Pollutant Discharges and Runoff Flow. Supporting Local Businesses, Minimizing Waste, and Reducing Environmental Impacts.

Local Manufacturing to Address Regional Challenges Facing Companies (Access to Land and Talent).

Addressing Inequities in Access to Healthful Opportunities and Workforce Development Networks.

Create a ballpark experience rooted in Oakland, while brining Oakland to the waterfront. Ballpark to promote social integration and urban activation. Provide economic stimulus while also improving urban the gran and walkability. Ballpark as part of the city.

Creating program diversity, with diversity of open space ranging from private, to community.