OAKLAND, Calif. — For the past decade, the vast Coliseum complex in East Oakland has increasingly felt like a forsaken land, its once proud ballpark and arena on a path to concrete ruin following the departures of the Raiders and Warriors and likely the A’s.
Striding into this bleak outlook are Brien Dixon and Ray Bobbitt, co-founders of the African-American Sports and Entertainment Group, which this week finalized an exclusive negotiating agreement with city officials to oversee a $5 billion redevelopment of the 100-acre property and eventually a 50% ownership interest.
The pair say they can turn the fortunes of the Coliseum site around with big ideas and even bigger financial investments in restaurants, nightlife, retail shops, hotels and market-rate and affordable housing. The complex of their dreams would be comparable to the multi-use “L.A. Live” area that houses its own major sports teams in Southern California.
