Oakland Raiders see stadium plan revised by City of Oakland

Oct 19, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders cheerleaders perform against the Arizona Cardinals at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

As the Raiders continue to struggle on the field, there may now be more optimism that the team stays in Oakland than optimism that the team returns to the playoffs as the city has revised and revamped their stadium plan to allow developers to get a deal in place to keep the team in the Bay Area. In addition to that, a national developer is rumored to be signing onto the project within the next two months according to SF Gate. 

While a concrete deal is still not close, there once again appears to be optimism that investors along with a willing city council will be able to keep the team in Oakland which owner Mark Davis considers as his first option before pursuing relocation options.

From SF Gate: 

"With the clock ticking down, the Oakland City Council is poised to give a revamped group planning the Coliseum City stadium development a 90-day extension of its exclusive negotiating agreement with the city.Council members privately told us they were encouraged by the team’s 11th-hour addition of new deep-pocket investors being represented by San Diego asset manager adviser Floyd Kephart, chairman of the board of Renaissance Cos. Kephart is expected to take the lead role in the newly reconstituted group, New City Development LLC.We’re told the group expects to have a developer with a national reputation signed on within 60 days, as well as approvals from the Raiders and NFL — plus the city and Alameda County — to begin detailed planning for a new football stadium. The stadium would be the centerpiece of a development that would also include housing, retail, offices and perhaps a ballpark for the A’s.For some time, council members had said they were reluctant to extend the exclusive deal unless Raiders owner Mark Davissigned on to the agreement. He still hasn’t, but council members say they’re at least satisfied that Davis is “comfortable” with the new investment group and wants the negotiations to proceed."

It needs to be said that things are still far from being finalized in getting the Raiders a new stadium, but with rumors that the franchise would have to share Los Angeles with a second team this may be the best route for Davis to pursue for the time being. Trying to keep the Raiders in the place they have called home for the majority of their history appears to be a priority for Davis, but it is up to investors as well as the Oakland city council to ensure that happens. For now, the City of Oakland is doing whatever they can to make that a reality.