Coliseum City - Oakland Coliseum Case Study
This Coliseum City - Oakland Coliseum Case Study was prepared for the Oakland Airport Area Business Association by JRDV International managing director Ed McFarlan.
Content
Oakland Coliseum
On January 10, 2012, Mark Davis, owner of the National Football League’s (NFL) Oakland Raiders, introduced the Raiders’ new General Manager, Reggie McKenzie, at a press conference at Raiders’ headquarters in Oakland, CA. However, this announcement was overshadowed by Davis’ comments about relocating the ball club. "Yeah, Los Angeles is a possibility….Wherever's a possibility. We need a stadium." The Raiders are entertaining offers to move to Los Angeles, which was their home base from 1982 to 1994. Also under consideration is co-location with the San Francisco 49ers at the new Santa Clara stadium. Nonetheless, the team’s first preference is to build a new facility on the current Coliseum site. McKenzie’s signing as general manager will free Davis to work more on getting the Raiders into a more modern stadium. Newer stadiums generate more revenue for teams.1 The urgent call for a new, state-of-the-art football stadium, as well as the threat of Oakland’s three professional sports teams leaving, led City of Oakland and Alameda County officials, business leaders, and developers to announce a bold plan on March 7, 2012 that would transform the Coliseum area and create up to 32,000 jobs. The Coliseum Complex is currently comprised of two City of Oakland and Alameda County jointly-owned professional sports venues, O.co Coliseum and Oracle Arena. The Oakland Raiders and Oakland Athletics (Major League Baseball team) play in the Coliseum, and the Oracle Arena is the home of the Golden State Warriors National Basketball Association (NBA) team. Officials from each team have explored relocating because their leases are nearing expiration – the A's and Raiders in 2013 and the Warriors in 2015.2 The City of Oakland has initiated a plan to redevelop the Coliseum area. They have retained a consulting team to create new land use, zoning, and city policies that allow for new, higher density development. This will create a new Specific Plan and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for this area that also allows for three new professional sports venues and other
1 2
Tafur, Vittorio. "Mark Davis says L.A. a possibility for Raiders." San Francisco Chronicle. January 11, 2012. Phillips, Ryan. "Quan, city officials roll out ambitious Coliseum plan in effort to keep three pro teams in Oakland". San Francisco Chronicle. March 7, 2012. This case was prepared by the Airport Area Business Association (AABA), JRDV Architects, and Pacific Thomas Capital. AABA exists to promote and sustain commerce and industry in the Oakland International Airport/Coliseum area. JRDV is an international, full‐service architecture firm headquartered in Oakland, CA. Pacific Thomas Capital specializes in real estate investment and development, and has offices in California and Hawaii. Individual contributors are: Thu Banh (U.C. Berkeley, Haas School of Business MBA Candidate 2013 and AABA intern), Debbie Hauser (AABA, Executive Director), Ed McFarlan (JRDV Architects, Partner and Coliseum City and Oakland Airport Business Park, Master Developer), and Randall Whitney (Pacific Thomas Capital, CEO & President and AABA Economic Development Group Chair).
mixed uses. These uses could include hotel, retail, office, and residential space. They have branded this potential new development “Coliseum City”. This plan also envisions connecting this Coliseum development area to an Oakland Airport Business Park just across the freeway on the way to Oakland International Airport. The business park will be developed to attract science and technology companies to Oakland. Both projects were allocated a total of $3.2 million in planning and pre-development funds by Oakland City Council.3 (See “Exhibit 1: Excerpts from City of Oakland, A Request For Proposals for A Contract to Prepare Specific Plans and an Environmental Impact Report for the Coliseum Area” for more details on this monumental land use planning effort.) With the concept of an entertainment hub in mind, the city has been purchasing property around the Coliseum over the years. One model the City favors is L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. L.A. Live has retail, businesses, and other entertainment centers next to the Staples Center, where the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers play.4 Another example is Xfinity Live! Philadelphia, an entertainment and dining district, opening in South Philadelphia in spring 2012. Xfinity! Live Philadelphia is located in the Wells Fargo Complex, home of the National Hockey League (NHL) team Philadelphia Flyers and NBA team Philadelphia 76ers. Attractions include The Philly MarketPlace, PBR Bar and Grill, and the NBC Sports Arena.5 Instead of asking voters to approve a bond to help fund construction of the new sports facilities, the project will finance itself via a public/private partnership."6 Nonetheless, financing this plan will be challenging. A feasibility analysis for a new football-only stadium was conducted by CS&L in 2010, and it showed a funding gap of approximately $400 million, which the Raiders would have to fill.7 What business model can the Raiders and the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority (OACCA)8 develop to increase revenue streams that cover expenses, support ongoing operations, and maximize stakeholder return on investment, while offering the flexibility
Ed McFarland, JRDV Architects. Phillips. 5 Xfinity Live! Philadelphia 6 Phillips. 7 “Feasibility Analysis for New Stadium Oakland”. CS&L. October 1, 2010. 8 Oakland‐Alameda County Coliseum Authority (also known as Joint Powers Authority) is a nonprofit public benefit corporation that was formed in 1961 for the purpose of helping to finance and construct a multipurpose public recreation coliseum and stadium (Coliseum) in the City of Oakland. OACCA’s current charge is to govern and ensure effective management of the Oakland Coliseum and Oracle Arena. The eight‐member Board of Commissioners includes two members of the Oakland City Council and two members of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. The city and county each also appoint two non‐elected commissioners. (Description taken from OACCA legal filings and website.)
4 3
Page | 2
necessary to weather changing market conditions over time? What various innovative finance strategies and marketing mechanisms might they employ to build the venue and sustain it?
Background on the Oakland Coliseum, the Raiders, and the Surrounding Community The first crowd filled the O.co Coliseum on September 18, 1966 when the American Football League’s Oakland Raiders played the Kansas City Chiefs. The adjacent arena celebrated its grand opening on November 9, 1966 when the Oakland Seals met the San Diego Gulls for an NHL game. [T]he Oakland Alameda County Arena and Coliseum Complex has a spectrum of events in both the sporting and entertainment industries concerts, circus, boxing, rodeos, religious speakers, and ice shows. Audiences numbering nearly 100 million have made the Oakland Coliseum and Oracle Arena the premier entertainment facilities in Northern California. 9 After an unsuccessful attempt prior to the 1980 season to secure improvements to the stadium, specifically luxury boxes, then-Raiders owner Al Davis decided to relocate the team to Los Angeles. The Raiders eventually moved into their new home, the Los Angeles Coliseum, for the 1982 season. Over a decade later, to lure back the Raiders and placate the other sporting team tenants, the City of Oakland and Alameda County issued $220 million in bonds in 1995 to undertake renovations at the Coliseum and Arena. O.co Coliseum’s $120 million renovation began in October 1995 and “…included 22,000 new seats, 90 luxury suites, two private clubs, and two state-of-the-art scoreboards.”10 Moreover, the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority paid the Raiders’ moving costs and built their training facility. The team paid a mere $525,000 in annual rent, and they did have to cover maintenance or game-day operating costs. 11 Currently, the outstanding debt from the Coliseum renovations is approximately $150 million.12 In June 1996 Oracle Arena underwent a $100 million renovation. Maximum occupancy was increased to 19,200 with the addition of 4,000 seats along with 72 luxury suites and three exclusive clubs.13
9
Oakland Coliseum Complex. Ibid. 11 “Oakland Raiders”. wikipedia.org. 12 CS&L. 13 Oakland Coliseum Complex.
10
Page | 3
The present day Oakland Coliseum and Oracle Arena sit on 132 acres with 10,000 on-site parking spaces.14 The outdoor Coliseum stadium seats up to 63,000 patrons, and the indoor Oracle Arena has seating capacity up to approximately 19,000 patrons.15 Demographics of City and Local Neighborhood With a population of 390,724 in 2010, Oakland is the eighth largest city in California. Compared to other U.S. cities, Oakland’s population is larger than Cincinnati, Miami, Minneapolis, Newark, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis. Oakland ranks as one of the two most diverse cities in the United States, according to the USA Today Diversity Index. The city’s diverse, welleducated population is attractive to both businesses seeking skilled workers and retailers searching for consumers with disposable income.16 A major West Coast port city, Oakland is located on San Francisco Bay, eight miles east of San Francisco. Oakland is also the county seat of Alameda County, and it is a hub city for the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area.17 The Coliseum is situated in East Oakland, and it contains a number of land uses: regional commercial/retail, general industrial, business mix (including Oakland Airport Business Park), transportation (e.g., Coliseum BART station, Oakland International Airport, and Coliseum Amtrak station.), residential, urban open space (e.g., Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline Park), and resource conservation area.18 While rich in use types, the area is woefully underutilized. The local population resides in predominantly low-income neighborhoods with high crime rates and poor educational and job opportunities. (See Exhibit 2: Selected Demographic Characteristics for Coliseum Area and City.) Economic Revitalization on the Horizon In early 2012 the City of Oakland selected Oakland-based JRDV Urban International to prepare Specific Plans and an EIR and manage the development for two project areas, which consists of 750 acres surrounding the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex and the Oakland Airport Business Park. JRDV’s team includes HKS Sports and Entertainment, a stadium developer, and Forest City Real Estate Services to develop the office and retail space.19 (See Exhibit 1 for more details on this promising land use planning process.)
Oakland Coliseum Complex. Oakland‐Alameda County Coliseum Authority. 16 “Oakland demographics”. City of Oakland. 17 “Oakland, CA”. wikipedia.org. 18 “Redevelopment Plan for the Coliseum Redevelopment Project”. City of Oakland Redevelopment Agency. March, 17, 2009. Page 54. 19 Phillips.
15 14
Page | 4
The Evolution of Sports Venues Despite the improvements made over the years, the Coliseum is outperformed by most other stadiums in several ways. It lacks the fan amenities and technical infrastructure of most modern NFL stadiums. Moreover, the Raiders’ in‐stadium revenue is among the lowest in the NFL, and annual operating deficit for the Coliseum has reached as much as $15 million.20 Over the last decade, the design of professional sports venues has been dramatically reengineered. The drive to increase revenue and create a richer fan experience has led to a new generation of stadiums that are far more complex than the stadiums and arenas of previous eras. They are no longer simple, standalone facilities that are simply designed to maximize the number of seats. Today, sports venues are designed with a full complement of premium seat opportunities that will allow companies and affluent fans to purchase a range of box and suite seating types. Along with these seats come a range of enhanced services. Food and beverage services throughout the venues provide a full range of dining and price point options. Retail locations and point of sale opportunities are also much more strategically designed into the stadium experience. Advertising and sponsorship opportunities abound throughout the venue. Each element is designed to significantly enhance the revenue that the stadium can generate. The sports complex’s location itself is also being radically reconsidered. Urban locations that allow mixed-use development are now preferred to standalone locations. The synergy of hotels, restaurants, bars, and clubs as part of the pre- and post-game experience is now an integral part of the location decision making. This places an emphasis on creating a total fan experience that expands the time that a sports goer spends at the game. It also has the potential to greatly increase the expenditures that fans make on game day. Teams that have new sports venues have seen an impressive increase their total team revenue and franchise value.21 (See Exhibit 3: Oakland Coliseum Site Analysis.)
Development Costs and Sources of Revenue for New Oakland Stadium The estimated development costs (planning and construction) for a new Raiders stadium are $863MM, which includes roughly $150 million in Coliseum debt. The outstanding debt will negatively impact the viability of any stadium financing, so new revenue streams will have to
20 21
CS&L. McFarlan.
Page | 5
contribute to paying down the balance. (See Exhibit 4: New NFL Stadium in Oakland, Funding Gap Analysis – Raiders as only Tenant.) On average since 1992, new NFL stadiums have been financed with 40% public participation and 60% private dollars. (See Exhibit 5: New NFL Stadium Financing Funding Comparison and Private Contributions to NFL Stadiums in Past 10 Years.) In Oakland’s case, little or no public money will be available for project financing. Potential public revenue sources are listed on the following page.22 Public Financing Sources Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) TOT, often called a hotel tax, is charged in California when occupying a room in a hotel, inn, or other lodging for 30 days or less.23 Municipal/Tax Bonds Mello-Roos, community facilities districts (CFD), and infrastructure facilities districts (IFD) are financing mechanisms used to fund certain public infrastructure and services, especially in developing and redeveloping areas. An assessment district is created by a sponsoring local government agency. The district includes all properties that will benefit from the improvements, and residents living within the boundaries must petition or vote to establish a district. A CFD assesses existing property owners, while an IFD taxes future property owners. In most cases of facilities construction, initial financing is secured through the issuance of tax-exempt municipal bonds. Each property within the district is encumbered with a lien for the annual payment of the principal and interest. The special tax continues until the bond is paid. The assessment is generally collected with property tax installments.”24 Tax Increment Financing (TIF) TIF is a funding approach in which the future tax benefits of real estate improvements are captured to pay the present cost of those improvements. It is often used to finance improvements (e.g., affordable housing, infrastructure, etc.) in distressed or underdeveloped areas. TIF uses the increased sales or property tax that new development produces to finance costs related to the development such as land acquisition, demolition, relocation, public infrastructure, debt service, and planning costs.
22 23
CS&L. “A Primer on California City Finance”. League of California Cities Western City Magazine. March 2005. Page 5. 24 “Information on Tax Assessments”. Muir Beach Community Services District.
Page | 6
From the 1970s until present day, a reduction in federal funding for redevelopment-related activities including spending cuts, restrictions on tax-exempt bonds and an administrative transference of urban policy to local, lower-level governments, has led many cities to consider tax increment financing. State-imposed caps on municipal property tax collections and limits on the amounts and types of city expenditures have also induced local governments to adopt alternative funding strategies. Tax increment financing has, in essence, provided local governments with a funding mechanism that does not rely on federal funds, escapes state limits on revenue and expenditures, and does not apply any new tax on municipal tax payers.25 However, Governor Jerry Brown dissolved California’s redevelopment agencies, effective February 1, 2012, to halt abuse by some agencies and to close the state’s budget gap. Some monies will still flow to cities and counties, but the amount will be significantly lower than during the redevelopment era.26 For the City of Oakland, this will result in the loss of $28 million in redevelopment dollars for fiscal year (FY) 2011-12 and FY 2012-13.27 The Coliseum Redevelopment Area was the largest redevelopment district in the City of Oakland.28 Other Sources Other public financing streams worth considering are: In-Stadium sales tax, Stadium ticket tax, and Stadium parking tax. Private Financing Sources The CS&L feasibility study found that a funding plan with 100 percent private sources is not viable and would force the Raiders to strongly consider Santa Clara (See Exhibit 6: Proposed Santa Clara NFL Stadium) or a site outside of the Bay Area. Nonetheless, the bulk of the financing will come from private channels. One-time membership equity fees (also known as personal seat licenses29), League contributions, and Team Contributions are potentially available. Major stadium revenues from premium seating and corporate suite programs, naming rights, concessions, merchandising, parking, and advertising will also comprise a large slice of the funding pie.
"CDFA Spotlight: Understanding Tax Increment Financing". Council of Development Finance Agencies. “The 2010‐11 Budget: Should California End Redevelopment Agencies?”. State of California, Legislative Accounting Office. February 8, 2011. 27 “Community Economic Development Agency (CEDA) Dissolved”. City of Oakland. 28 “Redevelopment Agency of the City of Oakland, California: Annual Financial Information Statement Continuing Disclosure Filing, As of June 30, 2007”. City of Oakland. 29 Kukura, Joe. “Raiders: Are your seats worth $12,000?”. NBC Bay Area. July 26, 2010.
26 25
Page | 7
Premium Seating As a part of the premium seating scheme, a personal seat license (PSL) program could raise $132.5 million to help fund the development of the football complex.30 Season ticket holders will be charged a license fee for the right to buy tickets/seats for the team's new stadium. This fee has become a common means of helping sports team owners finance new stadiums. The New York Giants chief executive John Mara noted that revenue from PSLs raised approximately $371 million toward the cost of the new Meadowlands $1.6 billion stadium. In addition to the benefit of prime seating, PSLs will allow season ticket holders to pass their tickets from one generation to the next.31 (See Exhibit 7: Recommended Program for Raiders Premium Seating & Membership Equity at a New NFL Stadium in Oakland and Exhibit 8 regarding game attendance, tickets sales, and ticket prices.) Coliseum Authority officials are also keenly aware that they must augment their corporate suites program. The Raiders have the third lowest total potential suite and club seat revenue among all the NFL franchises (See Exhibit 9). Currently, the Coliseum has 90 luxury suites. A proposed new Oakland stadium would have 96 suites and 60 mini-suites (See Exhibit 7). Since the Oakland/San Francisco/San Jose NFL market has the third largest number of corporate headquarters, there is a huge pool of corporate clients to fill those luxury boxes (See Exhibit 10: Oakland Demographic Summary and NFL Market Comparison). Naming Rights The current naming rights deal for the Oakland Coliseum is significantly undervalued, so there is great potential to capture increased revenues from new sponsors. In 2011, Utah-based Overstock.com, a company specializing in Internet sale of surplus goods from manufacturers and companies going out of business, signed a six-year deal for naming rights to the Coliseum (now called O.co Coliseum). They paid $1.2 million for the first year, and the cost increases by three percent each year. The deal has several caveats, one being if either the Raiders or the A’s leave, the payment will be reduced by 35 percent. The Coliseum Authority had been looking since 2008 for a stadium sponsor when McAfee, an antivirus software company, declined to renew.32 The record holder for largest naming rights deal is Staples, Inc., who is paying $100 million over 20 years for the building that houses the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA), Clippers (NBA), Kings (NHL), and Avengers (Arena Football League). In the past, companies that wanted to acquire naming rights usually had a direct consumer connection. However, in recent years, companies such as Qualcomm and Cisco are getting into the game because they value the
30 31
CS&L. "Giants detail personal seat license plan for new $1.6 billion stadium". AP. November 18, 2008.
32
Matier, Phillip and Ross, Andrew. "New name in Oakland sports: Overstock.com Coliseum". San Francisco Page | 8
Chronicle. April 27, 2011.
immediate boost they receive in brand recognition. Therefore, there is a wide range of businesses that are now interested in naming rights, and Oakland should capitalize on these opportunities.33 Advertising and Media Due to several demographic and locational factors, the Oakland Coliseum has tremendous promise in terms of advertising and media revenue generation. The Oakland/San Francisco/San Jose market has the second highest median household income, the third highest number of corporate headquarters, and the fifth most populous locale in the NFL market. (See Exhibit 10: Oakland Demographic Summary and NFL Market Comparison.) The Coliseum is also situated along the 880 corridor, and it has excellent visibility from the freeway. As many as 223,000 cars drive past the venue daily (See Exhibit 11: Coliseum Area Traffic Counts). Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose are heavily-populated urban centers, so there is a large potential fan base for the local teams. This opens up the possibility of the creation of a sports network that covers the Oakland Raiders, Oakland A’s, Golden State Warrior, and possibly the San Francisco 49ers and San Jose Sharks. The YES Network is an example of such a regional sports network for the New York Yankees and New Jersey Nets.34 The local teams would be able to earn a greater share of media revenue if they own their own media outlet. Non-Tenant Events Non-tenant events will also play a larger role in impacting anticipated revenue. Of course, the venue should maximize on hosting other sporting events, concerts, and other amusement-themed programs. They will have to forge stronger relationship with booking groups such as Live Nation and AEG. Thinking out of the box, why not consider creating a facility that could be used for football play 10 days of the year and for meetings and conventions the other 355 days of the year.35 These types of arrangements would boost the utilization of the facility, thereby generating steady and larger revenue streams. Revenue-Sharing Agreements Additionally, revenue-sharing agreements between the stadium owners, managers, and primary tenants may affect profitability. These arrangements should be negotiated such that each party is maximizing their share. This will enable all entities involved to have enough cash flow to run their operations, compensate their players and staff, and create a memorable and desirable fan experience. There are many traditional and creative methods of revenue generation, and the Raiders and Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority will have to consider them all carefully as
“Panel 1: Stadium Finance, Naming Rights & Team Relocation”. Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal. Volume 12, Issue 2, Article 1. 2002. 34 YES Network. 35 Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal.
33
Page | 9
they attempt to fill the $400 million stadium development funding gap. (See “Exhibit 12: Projected Financial Operations” for more information on private revenue sources.)
Oakland, Taking Control of Its Destiny The Coliseum complex presents a unique opportunity to prepare a pioneering business model that generates revenue for both public and private interests. A winning plan to finance, build, and operate a new Oakland stadium will draw upon historical data and the successes of other urban cities across the U.S. in developing projects that revitalized their surrounding communities and invigorated local and regional economies. The estimated community benefits amount to upwards of $1.3 billion in direct spending, tax collection, employment, and wage earnings.36 Nonetheless, can the City of Oakland and Alameda County really afford to go down this path again given that it is still repaying its previous Coliseum bond and loan debts of at least $145 million?37 Can Oakland overcome the challenges and obstacles it faces, and make the new stadium a reality? Are the withdrawal of redevelopment monies, the negative perception of Oakland (and especially Deep East Oakland) by investors, and the soft commercial real estate market insurmountable? Can the City of Oakland and Alameda County garner the public support required to approve the necessary public financing and inspire investor confidence?
36 37
CS&L. “Audited Financial Statements”. Oakland‐Alameda County Coliseum Authority. June 30, 2011.
Page | 10
Exhibit 1 Excerpts from “City of Oakland, A Request For Proposals for A Contract to Prepare Specific Plans and an Environmental Impact Report for the Coliseum Area”
Page | 11
The purpose and intent of the Specific Plans is to provide policy guidance on how the two project areas would develop and drive economic return for the benefit of the entire Oakland community through job generation and employment, and balance land use goals with environmental and economic interests, as well as providing the regulatory framework to encourage and support development. The Specific Plans will build upon previous planning efforts, including but not limited to the Coliseum Redevelopment Plan, and be coordinated with other public and private development projects underway for properties in close proximity. This will entail coordination of planning and development efforts with the Alameda County Joint Powers Authority, professional sports franchises, BART, Port of Oakland, Capitol Corridor Amtrak, and Union Pacific on the Coliseum City side (Area 1), and the Port of Oakland, Airport Area Business Association, and other major stakeholders including operational businesses and large property owners on the Business Park side (Area 2). Area 1: Coliseum City Coliseum City will offer the opportunity to provide a new, world-class sports/entertainment facility, destination retail, hotel, office, and residential uses that take benefit from immediate transit opportunities (BART, AMTRAK Capitol Corridor, AC Transit, Airport Connector) and excellent freeway access and visibility. Coliseum City will serve as a transportation hub linking BART, Amtrak, and the Oakland Airport Connector to the Airport and job centers in the East Bay, while attracting employees for the immediate area businesses who can travel to work via transit. Overall, the concept is to create an economic and sustainable development that would enhance the local area, residents, and business owners alike, while serving major sports franchises, and act as a catalyst for the Oakland community. The Staples Center and adjoining LA Live developments in downtown Los Angeles are an example of how the City envisions a new “Coliseum City”, which includes hotel, higher density residential, and major retail surrounding an entertainment and sports complex. Area 2: Oakland Airport Business Park The “Oakland Airport Business Park” was developed in the 1980s as an office and industrial business park, with the relatively recent introduction of big box retail and auto sales, augmented by airport-serving retail and parking amenities on Hegenberger Road. Part of the new vision for Area 2 focuses on constraints and opportunities for a more dense and contemporary business development with medium to large floor plate buildings, to attract emerging technical, scientific, and advanced manufacturing clusters, which also may benefit from proximity to the redeveloped Coliseum City and the proximity of the Oakland International Airport. These industries include biotechnology, life sciences, research and development, multimedia, green tech, and other industries including artisan food production, that involve creative and technology-oriented work taking place in large, open, flex office or light industrial spaces. Several of these industries are experiencing robust growth with great potential for the future and may be attracted to the Site due to its proximity to Oakland International Airport.
Page | 12
The Specific Plans will also increase the attractiveness of the area by identifying priorities for streetscape improvements, necessary parking, and pedestrian enhancements. The EIR adopted to support the Specific Plans will streamline the environmental review of projects that fall within its scope. Adjacent Uses & Other Existing Conditions Several developments are planned for areas within or immediately adjacent to the Site, and therefore should be considered during the Specific Plan/EIR process. They include, but are not limited to: Oakland Airport Connector: BART recently awarded a $500 million contract to design, build, and maintain the 3.2 mile automated guideway system that will connect BART and AC Transit passengers to the Oakland International Airport. The automated guideway system will consist of a lightweight overhead aerial structure that will run along Hegenberger Road with a maintenance yard scheduled at Airport Access Road with the terminus at the Oakland International Airport. Coliseum Transit Village: The Oakland Economic Development Corporation in partnership with Urban Core is planning the first phase development of the Coliseum Transit Village at the Coliseum BART Station parking lot. The project envisions 100 units of workforce housing on a 1.3 acre portion of the existing BART parking lot.
Lion Creek Crossing: The Oakland Housing Authority in partnership with East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) and The Related Companies are working on completing Lion Creek Crossing IV, which will consist of 72 units of affordable housing on the corner of Snell Street and 69th Avenue. When the entire master planned development is complete, over 400 units will have been created around a newly designed park and restored creek.
Foods Co. Shopping Center: The Agency currently owns a 6.3 acre parcel on the corner of 66th Avenue and San Leandro Street and is currently negotiating with Kroger/Ralphs to bring in a new retail shopping center development featuring a new 72,000 sf supermarket with corresponding fueling station.
Source: City of Oakland, “A Request For Proposals for A Contract to Prepare Specific Plans and an Environmental Impact Report for the Coliseum Area,” October 2011.
Page | 13
Exhibit 2 Selected Demographic Characteristics for Coliseum Area and City Characteristic Population Median household income # of households Average household size Median owneroccupied property value # of employees Median age College attendance (% of population) White collar jobs (% of population) 1 Mile 5,933 $37,319 3 Miles 169,297 $51,567 5 Miles 376,939 $55,083 Citywide 416,480 $49,359
1,637 3.6 $179,200
54,632 3.1 $167,900
126,970 2.9 $222,180
145,506 2.67 $230,500
13,061 34.3 40.6%
69,059 35.5 49.3%
119,129 37.1 52.8%
177,365 36.7 57.4%
42.3%
56.5%
60.6%
64.3%
Sources: 1) DemographicsNow, 2008 Projections, 2) Conley Consulting Group, Claritas, Associations of Bay Area Governments, MetaFacts, May 2007, and 3) DataQuick Information Services
Page | 14
Exhibit 3 New Oakland Stadium Site Analysis and Ancillary Development
Source: Feasibility Analysis for New Stadium Oakland, 10/1/10, CS&L
Page | 15
Exhibit 4 New NFL Stadium in Oakland, Funding Gap Analysis – Raiders as only Tenant
Source: Feasibility Analysis for New Stadium Oakland, 10/1/10, CS&L
Page | 16
Exhibit 5 New NFL Stadium Financing Funding Comparison (since 1992)
Source: National Football League
Page | 17
Exhibit 5 (continued) Private Contributions to NFL Stadiums in Past 10 Years
Source: National Football League
Page | 18
Exhibit 6 Proposed Santa Clara NFL Stadium
Source: Feasibility Analysis for New Stadium Oakland, 10/1/10, CS&L
Page | 19
Exhibit 7 Recommended Program for Raiders Premium Seating & Membership Equity at a New NFL Stadium in Oakland
Source: Feasibility Analysis for New Stadium Oakland, 10/1/10, CS&L
Page | 20
Exhibit 8 Raiders Attendance at Coliseum
Source: National Football League
Tickets Sold per Regular Season Game
Source: National Football League
Page | 21
Exhibit 8 (continued) Average Ticket Price
Source: National Football League
Page | 22
Exhibit 9 Total Potential Suite & Club Seat Revenue per Franchise
Source: National Football League
Page | 23
Exhibit 10 Oakland Demographic Summary and NFL Market Comparison
Exhibit 11 Coliseum Area Traffic Counts Corridor/Location I-880 @ 66th Avenue I-880 @ Hegenberger Road I-880 @ 98th Avenue Ahead/Back Per Day 222,000/223,000 209,000/222,000 222,000/209,000
Sources: 1) Traffic and Vehicle Data Systems Unit, Department of Transportation, State of California, 2006 and 2) DemographicsNow 2002-2006
Page | 24
Exhibit 12 New Oakland Stadium Project Financial Operations
Source: Feasibility Analysis for New Stadium Oakland, 10/1/10, CS&
Page | 25
On January 10, 2012, Mark Davis, owner of the National Football League’s (NFL) Oakland Raiders, introduced the Raiders’ new General Manager, Reggie McKenzie, at a press conference at Raiders’ headquarters in Oakland, CA. However, this announcement was overshadowed by Davis’ comments about relocating the ball club. "Yeah, Los Angeles is a possibility….Wherever's a possibility. We need a stadium." The Raiders are entertaining offers to move to Los Angeles, which was their home base from 1982 to 1994. Also under consideration is co-location with the San Francisco 49ers at the new Santa Clara stadium. Nonetheless, the team’s first preference is to build a new facility on the current Coliseum site. McKenzie’s signing as general manager will free Davis to work more on getting the Raiders into a more modern stadium. Newer stadiums generate more revenue for teams.1 The urgent call for a new, state-of-the-art football stadium, as well as the threat of Oakland’s three professional sports teams leaving, led City of Oakland and Alameda County officials, business leaders, and developers to announce a bold plan on March 7, 2012 that would transform the Coliseum area and create up to 32,000 jobs. The Coliseum Complex is currently comprised of two City of Oakland and Alameda County jointly-owned professional sports venues, O.co Coliseum and Oracle Arena. The Oakland Raiders and Oakland Athletics (Major League Baseball team) play in the Coliseum, and the Oracle Arena is the home of the Golden State Warriors National Basketball Association (NBA) team. Officials from each team have explored relocating because their leases are nearing expiration – the A's and Raiders in 2013 and the Warriors in 2015.2 The City of Oakland has initiated a plan to redevelop the Coliseum area. They have retained a consulting team to create new land use, zoning, and city policies that allow for new, higher density development. This will create a new Specific Plan and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for this area that also allows for three new professional sports venues and other
1 2
Tafur, Vittorio. "Mark Davis says L.A. a possibility for Raiders." San Francisco Chronicle. January 11, 2012. Phillips, Ryan. "Quan, city officials roll out ambitious Coliseum plan in effort to keep three pro teams in Oakland". San Francisco Chronicle. March 7, 2012. This case was prepared by the Airport Area Business Association (AABA), JRDV Architects, and Pacific Thomas Capital. AABA exists to promote and sustain commerce and industry in the Oakland International Airport/Coliseum area. JRDV is an international, full‐service architecture firm headquartered in Oakland, CA. Pacific Thomas Capital specializes in real estate investment and development, and has offices in California and Hawaii. Individual contributors are: Thu Banh (U.C. Berkeley, Haas School of Business MBA Candidate 2013 and AABA intern), Debbie Hauser (AABA, Executive Director), Ed McFarlan (JRDV Architects, Partner and Coliseum City and Oakland Airport Business Park, Master Developer), and Randall Whitney (Pacific Thomas Capital, CEO & President and AABA Economic Development Group Chair).
mixed uses. These uses could include hotel, retail, office, and residential space. They have branded this potential new development “Coliseum City”. This plan also envisions connecting this Coliseum development area to an Oakland Airport Business Park just across the freeway on the way to Oakland International Airport. The business park will be developed to attract science and technology companies to Oakland. Both projects were allocated a total of $3.2 million in planning and pre-development funds by Oakland City Council.3 (See “Exhibit 1: Excerpts from City of Oakland, A Request For Proposals for A Contract to Prepare Specific Plans and an Environmental Impact Report for the Coliseum Area” for more details on this monumental land use planning effort.) With the concept of an entertainment hub in mind, the city has been purchasing property around the Coliseum over the years. One model the City favors is L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. L.A. Live has retail, businesses, and other entertainment centers next to the Staples Center, where the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers play.4 Another example is Xfinity Live! Philadelphia, an entertainment and dining district, opening in South Philadelphia in spring 2012. Xfinity! Live Philadelphia is located in the Wells Fargo Complex, home of the National Hockey League (NHL) team Philadelphia Flyers and NBA team Philadelphia 76ers. Attractions include The Philly MarketPlace, PBR Bar and Grill, and the NBC Sports Arena.5 Instead of asking voters to approve a bond to help fund construction of the new sports facilities, the project will finance itself via a public/private partnership."6 Nonetheless, financing this plan will be challenging. A feasibility analysis for a new football-only stadium was conducted by CS&L in 2010, and it showed a funding gap of approximately $400 million, which the Raiders would have to fill.7 What business model can the Raiders and the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority (OACCA)8 develop to increase revenue streams that cover expenses, support ongoing operations, and maximize stakeholder return on investment, while offering the flexibility
Ed McFarland, JRDV Architects. Phillips. 5 Xfinity Live! Philadelphia 6 Phillips. 7 “Feasibility Analysis for New Stadium Oakland”. CS&L. October 1, 2010. 8 Oakland‐Alameda County Coliseum Authority (also known as Joint Powers Authority) is a nonprofit public benefit corporation that was formed in 1961 for the purpose of helping to finance and construct a multipurpose public recreation coliseum and stadium (Coliseum) in the City of Oakland. OACCA’s current charge is to govern and ensure effective management of the Oakland Coliseum and Oracle Arena. The eight‐member Board of Commissioners includes two members of the Oakland City Council and two members of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. The city and county each also appoint two non‐elected commissioners. (Description taken from OACCA legal filings and website.)
4 3
Page | 2
necessary to weather changing market conditions over time? What various innovative finance strategies and marketing mechanisms might they employ to build the venue and sustain it?
Background on the Oakland Coliseum, the Raiders, and the Surrounding Community The first crowd filled the O.co Coliseum on September 18, 1966 when the American Football League’s Oakland Raiders played the Kansas City Chiefs. The adjacent arena celebrated its grand opening on November 9, 1966 when the Oakland Seals met the San Diego Gulls for an NHL game. [T]he Oakland Alameda County Arena and Coliseum Complex has a spectrum of events in both the sporting and entertainment industries concerts, circus, boxing, rodeos, religious speakers, and ice shows. Audiences numbering nearly 100 million have made the Oakland Coliseum and Oracle Arena the premier entertainment facilities in Northern California. 9 After an unsuccessful attempt prior to the 1980 season to secure improvements to the stadium, specifically luxury boxes, then-Raiders owner Al Davis decided to relocate the team to Los Angeles. The Raiders eventually moved into their new home, the Los Angeles Coliseum, for the 1982 season. Over a decade later, to lure back the Raiders and placate the other sporting team tenants, the City of Oakland and Alameda County issued $220 million in bonds in 1995 to undertake renovations at the Coliseum and Arena. O.co Coliseum’s $120 million renovation began in October 1995 and “…included 22,000 new seats, 90 luxury suites, two private clubs, and two state-of-the-art scoreboards.”10 Moreover, the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority paid the Raiders’ moving costs and built their training facility. The team paid a mere $525,000 in annual rent, and they did have to cover maintenance or game-day operating costs. 11 Currently, the outstanding debt from the Coliseum renovations is approximately $150 million.12 In June 1996 Oracle Arena underwent a $100 million renovation. Maximum occupancy was increased to 19,200 with the addition of 4,000 seats along with 72 luxury suites and three exclusive clubs.13
9
Oakland Coliseum Complex. Ibid. 11 “Oakland Raiders”. wikipedia.org. 12 CS&L. 13 Oakland Coliseum Complex.
10
Page | 3
The present day Oakland Coliseum and Oracle Arena sit on 132 acres with 10,000 on-site parking spaces.14 The outdoor Coliseum stadium seats up to 63,000 patrons, and the indoor Oracle Arena has seating capacity up to approximately 19,000 patrons.15 Demographics of City and Local Neighborhood With a population of 390,724 in 2010, Oakland is the eighth largest city in California. Compared to other U.S. cities, Oakland’s population is larger than Cincinnati, Miami, Minneapolis, Newark, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis. Oakland ranks as one of the two most diverse cities in the United States, according to the USA Today Diversity Index. The city’s diverse, welleducated population is attractive to both businesses seeking skilled workers and retailers searching for consumers with disposable income.16 A major West Coast port city, Oakland is located on San Francisco Bay, eight miles east of San Francisco. Oakland is also the county seat of Alameda County, and it is a hub city for the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area.17 The Coliseum is situated in East Oakland, and it contains a number of land uses: regional commercial/retail, general industrial, business mix (including Oakland Airport Business Park), transportation (e.g., Coliseum BART station, Oakland International Airport, and Coliseum Amtrak station.), residential, urban open space (e.g., Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline Park), and resource conservation area.18 While rich in use types, the area is woefully underutilized. The local population resides in predominantly low-income neighborhoods with high crime rates and poor educational and job opportunities. (See Exhibit 2: Selected Demographic Characteristics for Coliseum Area and City.) Economic Revitalization on the Horizon In early 2012 the City of Oakland selected Oakland-based JRDV Urban International to prepare Specific Plans and an EIR and manage the development for two project areas, which consists of 750 acres surrounding the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex and the Oakland Airport Business Park. JRDV’s team includes HKS Sports and Entertainment, a stadium developer, and Forest City Real Estate Services to develop the office and retail space.19 (See Exhibit 1 for more details on this promising land use planning process.)
Oakland Coliseum Complex. Oakland‐Alameda County Coliseum Authority. 16 “Oakland demographics”. City of Oakland. 17 “Oakland, CA”. wikipedia.org. 18 “Redevelopment Plan for the Coliseum Redevelopment Project”. City of Oakland Redevelopment Agency. March, 17, 2009. Page 54. 19 Phillips.
15 14
Page | 4
The Evolution of Sports Venues Despite the improvements made over the years, the Coliseum is outperformed by most other stadiums in several ways. It lacks the fan amenities and technical infrastructure of most modern NFL stadiums. Moreover, the Raiders’ in‐stadium revenue is among the lowest in the NFL, and annual operating deficit for the Coliseum has reached as much as $15 million.20 Over the last decade, the design of professional sports venues has been dramatically reengineered. The drive to increase revenue and create a richer fan experience has led to a new generation of stadiums that are far more complex than the stadiums and arenas of previous eras. They are no longer simple, standalone facilities that are simply designed to maximize the number of seats. Today, sports venues are designed with a full complement of premium seat opportunities that will allow companies and affluent fans to purchase a range of box and suite seating types. Along with these seats come a range of enhanced services. Food and beverage services throughout the venues provide a full range of dining and price point options. Retail locations and point of sale opportunities are also much more strategically designed into the stadium experience. Advertising and sponsorship opportunities abound throughout the venue. Each element is designed to significantly enhance the revenue that the stadium can generate. The sports complex’s location itself is also being radically reconsidered. Urban locations that allow mixed-use development are now preferred to standalone locations. The synergy of hotels, restaurants, bars, and clubs as part of the pre- and post-game experience is now an integral part of the location decision making. This places an emphasis on creating a total fan experience that expands the time that a sports goer spends at the game. It also has the potential to greatly increase the expenditures that fans make on game day. Teams that have new sports venues have seen an impressive increase their total team revenue and franchise value.21 (See Exhibit 3: Oakland Coliseum Site Analysis.)
Development Costs and Sources of Revenue for New Oakland Stadium The estimated development costs (planning and construction) for a new Raiders stadium are $863MM, which includes roughly $150 million in Coliseum debt. The outstanding debt will negatively impact the viability of any stadium financing, so new revenue streams will have to
20 21
CS&L. McFarlan.
Page | 5
contribute to paying down the balance. (See Exhibit 4: New NFL Stadium in Oakland, Funding Gap Analysis – Raiders as only Tenant.) On average since 1992, new NFL stadiums have been financed with 40% public participation and 60% private dollars. (See Exhibit 5: New NFL Stadium Financing Funding Comparison and Private Contributions to NFL Stadiums in Past 10 Years.) In Oakland’s case, little or no public money will be available for project financing. Potential public revenue sources are listed on the following page.22 Public Financing Sources Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) TOT, often called a hotel tax, is charged in California when occupying a room in a hotel, inn, or other lodging for 30 days or less.23 Municipal/Tax Bonds Mello-Roos, community facilities districts (CFD), and infrastructure facilities districts (IFD) are financing mechanisms used to fund certain public infrastructure and services, especially in developing and redeveloping areas. An assessment district is created by a sponsoring local government agency. The district includes all properties that will benefit from the improvements, and residents living within the boundaries must petition or vote to establish a district. A CFD assesses existing property owners, while an IFD taxes future property owners. In most cases of facilities construction, initial financing is secured through the issuance of tax-exempt municipal bonds. Each property within the district is encumbered with a lien for the annual payment of the principal and interest. The special tax continues until the bond is paid. The assessment is generally collected with property tax installments.”24 Tax Increment Financing (TIF) TIF is a funding approach in which the future tax benefits of real estate improvements are captured to pay the present cost of those improvements. It is often used to finance improvements (e.g., affordable housing, infrastructure, etc.) in distressed or underdeveloped areas. TIF uses the increased sales or property tax that new development produces to finance costs related to the development such as land acquisition, demolition, relocation, public infrastructure, debt service, and planning costs.
22 23
CS&L. “A Primer on California City Finance”. League of California Cities Western City Magazine. March 2005. Page 5. 24 “Information on Tax Assessments”. Muir Beach Community Services District.
Page | 6
From the 1970s until present day, a reduction in federal funding for redevelopment-related activities including spending cuts, restrictions on tax-exempt bonds and an administrative transference of urban policy to local, lower-level governments, has led many cities to consider tax increment financing. State-imposed caps on municipal property tax collections and limits on the amounts and types of city expenditures have also induced local governments to adopt alternative funding strategies. Tax increment financing has, in essence, provided local governments with a funding mechanism that does not rely on federal funds, escapes state limits on revenue and expenditures, and does not apply any new tax on municipal tax payers.25 However, Governor Jerry Brown dissolved California’s redevelopment agencies, effective February 1, 2012, to halt abuse by some agencies and to close the state’s budget gap. Some monies will still flow to cities and counties, but the amount will be significantly lower than during the redevelopment era.26 For the City of Oakland, this will result in the loss of $28 million in redevelopment dollars for fiscal year (FY) 2011-12 and FY 2012-13.27 The Coliseum Redevelopment Area was the largest redevelopment district in the City of Oakland.28 Other Sources Other public financing streams worth considering are: In-Stadium sales tax, Stadium ticket tax, and Stadium parking tax. Private Financing Sources The CS&L feasibility study found that a funding plan with 100 percent private sources is not viable and would force the Raiders to strongly consider Santa Clara (See Exhibit 6: Proposed Santa Clara NFL Stadium) or a site outside of the Bay Area. Nonetheless, the bulk of the financing will come from private channels. One-time membership equity fees (also known as personal seat licenses29), League contributions, and Team Contributions are potentially available. Major stadium revenues from premium seating and corporate suite programs, naming rights, concessions, merchandising, parking, and advertising will also comprise a large slice of the funding pie.
"CDFA Spotlight: Understanding Tax Increment Financing". Council of Development Finance Agencies. “The 2010‐11 Budget: Should California End Redevelopment Agencies?”. State of California, Legislative Accounting Office. February 8, 2011. 27 “Community Economic Development Agency (CEDA) Dissolved”. City of Oakland. 28 “Redevelopment Agency of the City of Oakland, California: Annual Financial Information Statement Continuing Disclosure Filing, As of June 30, 2007”. City of Oakland. 29 Kukura, Joe. “Raiders: Are your seats worth $12,000?”. NBC Bay Area. July 26, 2010.
26 25
Page | 7
Premium Seating As a part of the premium seating scheme, a personal seat license (PSL) program could raise $132.5 million to help fund the development of the football complex.30 Season ticket holders will be charged a license fee for the right to buy tickets/seats for the team's new stadium. This fee has become a common means of helping sports team owners finance new stadiums. The New York Giants chief executive John Mara noted that revenue from PSLs raised approximately $371 million toward the cost of the new Meadowlands $1.6 billion stadium. In addition to the benefit of prime seating, PSLs will allow season ticket holders to pass their tickets from one generation to the next.31 (See Exhibit 7: Recommended Program for Raiders Premium Seating & Membership Equity at a New NFL Stadium in Oakland and Exhibit 8 regarding game attendance, tickets sales, and ticket prices.) Coliseum Authority officials are also keenly aware that they must augment their corporate suites program. The Raiders have the third lowest total potential suite and club seat revenue among all the NFL franchises (See Exhibit 9). Currently, the Coliseum has 90 luxury suites. A proposed new Oakland stadium would have 96 suites and 60 mini-suites (See Exhibit 7). Since the Oakland/San Francisco/San Jose NFL market has the third largest number of corporate headquarters, there is a huge pool of corporate clients to fill those luxury boxes (See Exhibit 10: Oakland Demographic Summary and NFL Market Comparison). Naming Rights The current naming rights deal for the Oakland Coliseum is significantly undervalued, so there is great potential to capture increased revenues from new sponsors. In 2011, Utah-based Overstock.com, a company specializing in Internet sale of surplus goods from manufacturers and companies going out of business, signed a six-year deal for naming rights to the Coliseum (now called O.co Coliseum). They paid $1.2 million for the first year, and the cost increases by three percent each year. The deal has several caveats, one being if either the Raiders or the A’s leave, the payment will be reduced by 35 percent. The Coliseum Authority had been looking since 2008 for a stadium sponsor when McAfee, an antivirus software company, declined to renew.32 The record holder for largest naming rights deal is Staples, Inc., who is paying $100 million over 20 years for the building that houses the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA), Clippers (NBA), Kings (NHL), and Avengers (Arena Football League). In the past, companies that wanted to acquire naming rights usually had a direct consumer connection. However, in recent years, companies such as Qualcomm and Cisco are getting into the game because they value the
30 31
CS&L. "Giants detail personal seat license plan for new $1.6 billion stadium". AP. November 18, 2008.
32
Matier, Phillip and Ross, Andrew. "New name in Oakland sports: Overstock.com Coliseum". San Francisco Page | 8
Chronicle. April 27, 2011.
immediate boost they receive in brand recognition. Therefore, there is a wide range of businesses that are now interested in naming rights, and Oakland should capitalize on these opportunities.33 Advertising and Media Due to several demographic and locational factors, the Oakland Coliseum has tremendous promise in terms of advertising and media revenue generation. The Oakland/San Francisco/San Jose market has the second highest median household income, the third highest number of corporate headquarters, and the fifth most populous locale in the NFL market. (See Exhibit 10: Oakland Demographic Summary and NFL Market Comparison.) The Coliseum is also situated along the 880 corridor, and it has excellent visibility from the freeway. As many as 223,000 cars drive past the venue daily (See Exhibit 11: Coliseum Area Traffic Counts). Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose are heavily-populated urban centers, so there is a large potential fan base for the local teams. This opens up the possibility of the creation of a sports network that covers the Oakland Raiders, Oakland A’s, Golden State Warrior, and possibly the San Francisco 49ers and San Jose Sharks. The YES Network is an example of such a regional sports network for the New York Yankees and New Jersey Nets.34 The local teams would be able to earn a greater share of media revenue if they own their own media outlet. Non-Tenant Events Non-tenant events will also play a larger role in impacting anticipated revenue. Of course, the venue should maximize on hosting other sporting events, concerts, and other amusement-themed programs. They will have to forge stronger relationship with booking groups such as Live Nation and AEG. Thinking out of the box, why not consider creating a facility that could be used for football play 10 days of the year and for meetings and conventions the other 355 days of the year.35 These types of arrangements would boost the utilization of the facility, thereby generating steady and larger revenue streams. Revenue-Sharing Agreements Additionally, revenue-sharing agreements between the stadium owners, managers, and primary tenants may affect profitability. These arrangements should be negotiated such that each party is maximizing their share. This will enable all entities involved to have enough cash flow to run their operations, compensate their players and staff, and create a memorable and desirable fan experience. There are many traditional and creative methods of revenue generation, and the Raiders and Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority will have to consider them all carefully as
“Panel 1: Stadium Finance, Naming Rights & Team Relocation”. Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal. Volume 12, Issue 2, Article 1. 2002. 34 YES Network. 35 Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal.
33
Page | 9
they attempt to fill the $400 million stadium development funding gap. (See “Exhibit 12: Projected Financial Operations” for more information on private revenue sources.)
Oakland, Taking Control of Its Destiny The Coliseum complex presents a unique opportunity to prepare a pioneering business model that generates revenue for both public and private interests. A winning plan to finance, build, and operate a new Oakland stadium will draw upon historical data and the successes of other urban cities across the U.S. in developing projects that revitalized their surrounding communities and invigorated local and regional economies. The estimated community benefits amount to upwards of $1.3 billion in direct spending, tax collection, employment, and wage earnings.36 Nonetheless, can the City of Oakland and Alameda County really afford to go down this path again given that it is still repaying its previous Coliseum bond and loan debts of at least $145 million?37 Can Oakland overcome the challenges and obstacles it faces, and make the new stadium a reality? Are the withdrawal of redevelopment monies, the negative perception of Oakland (and especially Deep East Oakland) by investors, and the soft commercial real estate market insurmountable? Can the City of Oakland and Alameda County garner the public support required to approve the necessary public financing and inspire investor confidence?
36 37
CS&L. “Audited Financial Statements”. Oakland‐Alameda County Coliseum Authority. June 30, 2011.
Page | 10
Exhibit 1 Excerpts from “City of Oakland, A Request For Proposals for A Contract to Prepare Specific Plans and an Environmental Impact Report for the Coliseum Area”
Page | 11
The purpose and intent of the Specific Plans is to provide policy guidance on how the two project areas would develop and drive economic return for the benefit of the entire Oakland community through job generation and employment, and balance land use goals with environmental and economic interests, as well as providing the regulatory framework to encourage and support development. The Specific Plans will build upon previous planning efforts, including but not limited to the Coliseum Redevelopment Plan, and be coordinated with other public and private development projects underway for properties in close proximity. This will entail coordination of planning and development efforts with the Alameda County Joint Powers Authority, professional sports franchises, BART, Port of Oakland, Capitol Corridor Amtrak, and Union Pacific on the Coliseum City side (Area 1), and the Port of Oakland, Airport Area Business Association, and other major stakeholders including operational businesses and large property owners on the Business Park side (Area 2). Area 1: Coliseum City Coliseum City will offer the opportunity to provide a new, world-class sports/entertainment facility, destination retail, hotel, office, and residential uses that take benefit from immediate transit opportunities (BART, AMTRAK Capitol Corridor, AC Transit, Airport Connector) and excellent freeway access and visibility. Coliseum City will serve as a transportation hub linking BART, Amtrak, and the Oakland Airport Connector to the Airport and job centers in the East Bay, while attracting employees for the immediate area businesses who can travel to work via transit. Overall, the concept is to create an economic and sustainable development that would enhance the local area, residents, and business owners alike, while serving major sports franchises, and act as a catalyst for the Oakland community. The Staples Center and adjoining LA Live developments in downtown Los Angeles are an example of how the City envisions a new “Coliseum City”, which includes hotel, higher density residential, and major retail surrounding an entertainment and sports complex. Area 2: Oakland Airport Business Park The “Oakland Airport Business Park” was developed in the 1980s as an office and industrial business park, with the relatively recent introduction of big box retail and auto sales, augmented by airport-serving retail and parking amenities on Hegenberger Road. Part of the new vision for Area 2 focuses on constraints and opportunities for a more dense and contemporary business development with medium to large floor plate buildings, to attract emerging technical, scientific, and advanced manufacturing clusters, which also may benefit from proximity to the redeveloped Coliseum City and the proximity of the Oakland International Airport. These industries include biotechnology, life sciences, research and development, multimedia, green tech, and other industries including artisan food production, that involve creative and technology-oriented work taking place in large, open, flex office or light industrial spaces. Several of these industries are experiencing robust growth with great potential for the future and may be attracted to the Site due to its proximity to Oakland International Airport.
Page | 12
The Specific Plans will also increase the attractiveness of the area by identifying priorities for streetscape improvements, necessary parking, and pedestrian enhancements. The EIR adopted to support the Specific Plans will streamline the environmental review of projects that fall within its scope. Adjacent Uses & Other Existing Conditions Several developments are planned for areas within or immediately adjacent to the Site, and therefore should be considered during the Specific Plan/EIR process. They include, but are not limited to: Oakland Airport Connector: BART recently awarded a $500 million contract to design, build, and maintain the 3.2 mile automated guideway system that will connect BART and AC Transit passengers to the Oakland International Airport. The automated guideway system will consist of a lightweight overhead aerial structure that will run along Hegenberger Road with a maintenance yard scheduled at Airport Access Road with the terminus at the Oakland International Airport. Coliseum Transit Village: The Oakland Economic Development Corporation in partnership with Urban Core is planning the first phase development of the Coliseum Transit Village at the Coliseum BART Station parking lot. The project envisions 100 units of workforce housing on a 1.3 acre portion of the existing BART parking lot.
Lion Creek Crossing: The Oakland Housing Authority in partnership with East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) and The Related Companies are working on completing Lion Creek Crossing IV, which will consist of 72 units of affordable housing on the corner of Snell Street and 69th Avenue. When the entire master planned development is complete, over 400 units will have been created around a newly designed park and restored creek.
Foods Co. Shopping Center: The Agency currently owns a 6.3 acre parcel on the corner of 66th Avenue and San Leandro Street and is currently negotiating with Kroger/Ralphs to bring in a new retail shopping center development featuring a new 72,000 sf supermarket with corresponding fueling station.
Source: City of Oakland, “A Request For Proposals for A Contract to Prepare Specific Plans and an Environmental Impact Report for the Coliseum Area,” October 2011.
Page | 13
Exhibit 2 Selected Demographic Characteristics for Coliseum Area and City Characteristic Population Median household income # of households Average household size Median owneroccupied property value # of employees Median age College attendance (% of population) White collar jobs (% of population) 1 Mile 5,933 $37,319 3 Miles 169,297 $51,567 5 Miles 376,939 $55,083 Citywide 416,480 $49,359
1,637 3.6 $179,200
54,632 3.1 $167,900
126,970 2.9 $222,180
145,506 2.67 $230,500
13,061 34.3 40.6%
69,059 35.5 49.3%
119,129 37.1 52.8%
177,365 36.7 57.4%
42.3%
56.5%
60.6%
64.3%
Sources: 1) DemographicsNow, 2008 Projections, 2) Conley Consulting Group, Claritas, Associations of Bay Area Governments, MetaFacts, May 2007, and 3) DataQuick Information Services
Page | 14
Exhibit 3 New Oakland Stadium Site Analysis and Ancillary Development
Source: Feasibility Analysis for New Stadium Oakland, 10/1/10, CS&L
Page | 15
Exhibit 4 New NFL Stadium in Oakland, Funding Gap Analysis – Raiders as only Tenant
Source: Feasibility Analysis for New Stadium Oakland, 10/1/10, CS&L
Page | 16
Exhibit 5 New NFL Stadium Financing Funding Comparison (since 1992)
Source: National Football League
Page | 17
Exhibit 5 (continued) Private Contributions to NFL Stadiums in Past 10 Years
Source: National Football League
Page | 18
Exhibit 6 Proposed Santa Clara NFL Stadium
Source: Feasibility Analysis for New Stadium Oakland, 10/1/10, CS&L
Page | 19
Exhibit 7 Recommended Program for Raiders Premium Seating & Membership Equity at a New NFL Stadium in Oakland
Source: Feasibility Analysis for New Stadium Oakland, 10/1/10, CS&L
Page | 20
Exhibit 8 Raiders Attendance at Coliseum
Source: National Football League
Tickets Sold per Regular Season Game
Source: National Football League
Page | 21
Exhibit 8 (continued) Average Ticket Price
Source: National Football League
Page | 22
Exhibit 9 Total Potential Suite & Club Seat Revenue per Franchise
Source: National Football League
Page | 23
Exhibit 10 Oakland Demographic Summary and NFL Market Comparison
Exhibit 11 Coliseum Area Traffic Counts Corridor/Location I-880 @ 66th Avenue I-880 @ Hegenberger Road I-880 @ 98th Avenue Ahead/Back Per Day 222,000/223,000 209,000/222,000 222,000/209,000
Sources: 1) Traffic and Vehicle Data Systems Unit, Department of Transportation, State of California, 2006 and 2) DemographicsNow 2002-2006
Page | 24
Exhibit 12 New Oakland Stadium Project Financial Operations
Source: Feasibility Analysis for New Stadium Oakland, 10/1/10, CS&
Page | 25
