Oakland, Ca -- Today, January 27, 2023, the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority (OACCA) Board voted unanimously to appoint Oakland Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan as Chair of the Board.
The OACCA Board was established by the City of Oakland and the County of Alameda to finance improvements to the Coliseum Complex and to manage the Coliseum Complex on behalf of the City and the County.
Since her reappointment to the OACCA Board in 2021, Council member Kaplan has served as Vice-Chair and utilized her role to lead several important efforts to support the communities in Oakland, throughout Alameda County, and the Bay Area. In February 2021, when the former Oakland Mayor had made cuts to several vital public safety services, including closing fire stations, Kaplan identified $10 million in available excess funds from a litigation with the Warriors. She moved quickly to return the funds to the Oakland budget to save vital Oakland services and avoid cuts to essential public needs.
That same year, as the COVID vaccine was first made available, Kaplan successfully passed legislation through the City Council and the OACCA calling on the State of California, and the federal government to open a mass COVID vaccination site, and successfully mobilized for the Oakland Coliseum site to become the first FEMA-supported large-scale vaccination site, and to push State and Federal leaders to provide mobile vaccination sites at community-based organizations in hard hit communities.
Councilmember Kaplan has continuously worked to revitalize the Oakland Coliseum, she believes the Oakland Coliseum property to be an excellent large site that has connectivity throughout the region, including with BART, Amtrak, freeway, and airport access. By developing it in a way that provides jobs, housing at all income levels, and public revenue, we can achieve significant improvement for the Oakland community, especially in the East Oakland area where it is located.
Three years ago, in an op-ed for the Oakland Post, Kaplan wrote of the existing concerns about the loss of jobs, lack of affordable housing, and the further erosion of the Black community in East Oakland, and how community-oriented revitalization of the Coliseum site can help remedy these problems. See Op-Ed at: https://www.postnewsgroup.com/opinion-a-vision-for-the-future-of-the-coliseum-area/
Previously, Kaplan introduced the legislation, which was passed by the Oakland City Council, awarding this vital site for development to an Oakland-based African American development group, the African American Sport and Entertainment Group (AASEG) – taking a large step to rectify extensive racial disparities in Oakland contracts and economic opportunity, and ensure a positive future for the site. AASEG plans to develop the Coliseum and bring a WNBA team, housing, including affordable housing, public service centers, retail and entertainment, great jobs and more, to this vital location.
Said Rebecca Kaplan: “I am very thankful for the vote and support of the Coliseum Authority Board, in choosing me to serve as Chair. I am committed to making sure this large and important public resource continues to strengthen our efforts for revitalization, revenue, jobs, and other opportunities for our community, in East Oakland and beyond.”
###