Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf has confirmed that a framework agreement has been reached for a new stadium to be built in the US city, although the Oakland Raiders NFL American football team remains committed to relocating from California to Las Vegas, Nevada.
The ESPN website reports that an agreement has been reached between Schaaf and the Ronnie Lott group for the construction of a new facility. “It is exciting that we have reached a conceptual framework agreement with the Lott group,” Schaaf said.
The framework does not, however, include the Raiders, and the team is set to press ahead with its plans to move to Las Vegas.
The framework agreement would require the approval of the Board of Supervisors and the Oakland City Council before plans could progress. Schaaf reportedly presented the deal to the Board of Supervisors yesterday (Tuesday). If passed, the proposal will go to the Oakland City Council on November 29.
The Raiders appear set to move to Las Vegas after plans to raise $750m (£606.1m/€706.6m) in hotel tax money to help fund a new 65,000-capacity stadium were approved last month. Raiders owner Mark Davis is set to pledge $500m towards the $1.9bn project, with the remaining $650m to be provided by the family of Sheldon Adelson, who owns the Las Vegas Sands Corp. casino company.
Some have speculated that Raiders owner Mark Davis has only backed the relocation as means to force Oakland into building the team a new stadium. Davis has denied the suggestion and insists the team remains committed to relocating. “The Raiders are committed to Las Vegas, and that’s what I’m working,” he said, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper.
The relocation still requires the approval of 24 of the NFL’s 32 team owners. The Raiders are due to play the next two seasons at the team’s current home, the Oakland Coliseum.
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