Oakland Roots Alameda Stadium Permit Hearing Is Nov. 9

The Alameda Planning Board will hold a public hearing on Monday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. on a permit that would let the Oakland Roots and Soul host up to 27 pro soccer matches a year, with up to 8,000 fans, at their training facility at 1150 and 1220 Harbor Bay Parkway in Alameda, CA. City staff recommends approval.

• Where: The old Raiders training site in the Harbor Bay Business Park on Bay Farm Island, next to Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport.
• When: Planning Board hearing Monday, Nov. 9, 7 p.m., City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Avenue, third floor, or on Zoom.
• How big: Up to 8,000 fans 24 times a year, plus three more big matches with City Manager approval.
• How long: The permit would run until Dec. 31, 2031.
• First: City Council has to clear an airport safety finding on Nov. 4.

What would the Roots build at Harbor Bay?

It's a pop-up stadium, not a permanent one. Per the city's Nov. 9 Planning Board agenda and staff report, the club wants modular stands on three sides of the field, tents for field-level seats at one end, a press box, a sound system, a video scoreboard and field lights.

The lights would stand up to 84 feet, more than twice the height of the 40-foot stands. On match days, food trucks and merch booths would fill the lot behind 1220 Harbor Bay Parkway. The Soul could play up to seven matches a year with up to 3,000 fans.

When would games start and end?

Big events couldn't start before 6 p.m. on weekdays or 10 a.m. on weekends and holidays. They'd have to end before 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Beer and wine sales stop 30 minutes before the end.

Most big matches would land on weekends from March to November. Weekday crowds top out at 6,000. No concerts, fireworks, drone or laser shows.

Where would 8,000 fans park?

Mostly in nearby business park lots that are empty on nights and weekends. The draft permit asks the Roots to line up at least 1,500 spaces for weekend matches and 800 for weekday ones.

For any crowd over 3,000, the club would have to run accessible shuttles to Coliseum BART. Free valet bike parking would cover at least 5% of fans at events over 1,000 people. There'd also be a neighbor hotline and a one-year review.

What happens next?

It's a two-step. In September, the county's Airport Land Use Commission voted 4-0-1 to reject the project. So on Nov. 4, Council will be asked to make its own airport safety finding, which takes a two-thirds vote. Here's our story on the Council airport override vote.

If Council says yes, the Planning Board takes up the permit five days later. Staff says the Roots are on a tight timeline to be ready for the 2027 season, while they negotiate for a permanent home at Howard Terminal in Oakland. For more, follow our Alameda development news.