OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — The Bay Conservation and Development Commission staff recommended moving forward with the Oakland A’s new potential ballpark at Howard Terminal on Monday. A’s President Dave Kaval called the development a “massive deal.”

“It’s a really important milestone for the project,” he told KRON4. “And with that approval and the approval of the city council, we would have all the necessary approvals to move forward.”

The BCDC supported removing the Port Priority Use designation from Howard Terminal, saying it “would not detract from the region’s capability to meet the projected growth in cargo.” Removing the port designation paves the way for a stadium to be built on that land.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf also expressed her pleasure with the decision. She said the ballpark and surrounding neighborhood would add 18 acres of new public parks, 3,000 housing units and thousands of jobs.

“Today’s report is great news for Oakland and our region,” she said. “I appreciate the BCDC staff’s due diligence and their preliminary recommendation to move this project forward and open Oakland’s waterfront to the public. I wholeheartedly agree: The best use of a dormant Howard Terminal is to convert it into a thriving waterfront ballpark neighborhood.”

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The A’s have been playing at Oakland Coliseum since 1968 and are in the market for a new ballpark. In addition to the proposed stadium at Howard Terminal KRON4 reported that in 2021, the A’s looked at ballpark sites in Las Vegas.

There will be a public hearing for the stadium on June 2 and the final vote will be June 30.