Staff for the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission said in a report released Monday that the land where the A's propose to build the ballpark is not needed by the Port of Oakland.
That announcement could reverse a setback in March when the commission's Seaport Planning Advisory Committee recommended the land be maintained for maritime use.
The report released Monday is a preliminary recommendation on the land known as Charles P. Howard Terminal. The commission is expected to decide June 30 whether to accept the recommendation.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaff said in a statement Monday that the "report is great news for Oakland and our region. The best use of a dormant Howard Terminal is to convert it into a thriving waterfront ballpark neighborhood."
Port of Oakland officials also agreed with the recommendation.
An affirmative vote by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission next month would be a key step toward a new A's ballpark in Oakland.
Such a vote would remove 56 acres from Port land and "would not detract from the region's capability to meet the projected growth in cargo," the report says and is a key argument for relinquishing the land to the Oakland A's.
