Some supporters of the stadium plan have characterized the Howard Terminal location for Fisher’s development as a parking lot.
It’s not.
It’s actually a key staging ground for loaded containers and chassis as well as the site where dockworkers are trained on cargo-handling equipment. Mainly it’s used for in-transit cargo. There were 400,000 truck moves at Howard Terminal last year.
Of the 50 major U.S. ports, not one has a sports stadium in the middle of its bustling work zone. Yet, while we’re caught in the twin crises — supply chain backlog and the pandemic — Oakland’s Port Commission and its City Council keep moving closer to approving Fisher’s land grab.
A stadium can be built almost anywhere, but a port can only be built on tidelands. Once Howard Terminal is lost, it can’t be replaced.