Supporters urge Alameda County to direct counsel to complete Coliseum disposition agreement

Supporters of redevelopment at the Oakland Coliseum asked the Alameda County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 7 to direct county counsel to move forward with formal negotiations over a disposition agreement so proposed development can proceed.

“My name is Ray Bobbitt,” said Ray Bobbitt, who asked the board to give county counsel formal direction to negotiate a disposition agreement for the Coliseum site with CWP and the Oakland Athletics. Bobbitt said he and project partners had come to agreement in principle and warned that ongoing litigation (identified in comment as Goldsby v. CWP) could delay development if not resolved.

Pastor Raymond Langford told the board that bond retirement actions taken by a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) were a positive step and said the community looked forward to thousands of jobs from redevelopment. “We’re encouraging the board to give direction to the council to negotiate on this process,” Langford said.

The clerk’s closed‑session report said the county will add Patrick O’Connor alongside Kimberly Gassaway as an additional negotiator on the real property matter; the report did not record a public vote authorizing a sale or disposition agreement. The transcript records public comment urging formal direction but does not show the board taking that direction in open session during this special meeting.

Why it matters: The disposition of the Coliseum site is a major local redevelopment decision with potential economic and employment impacts. Public speakers emphasized timeliness and urged the board to authorize counsel to finalize arrangements so construction and bond retirement can proceed.

The special meeting ended after the closed‑session report out; no open‑session vote on a disposition agreement was recorded in the transcript.