According to city officials, Oakland Athletics has reached a deal with Cisco Systems Inc to build a high-tech park in Southern Fremont to seat around 32,000 to 35,000 people. This ballpark is due to be built on the 143 acres of land that Cisco currently holds.

Lew Wolff, the owner of Oakland Athletics, showed the diagrams of the proposed stadium to the Fremont City Council members in a meeting but the details were not discussed. Mayor Bob Wasserman informed that there was no talk of money and the city has not decided how much money it would ask Oakland Athletics.

Both, Cisco and Oakland Athletics, are keeping mum about the deal and would not reveal anything. A formal announcement has been planned at Cisco’s San Jose headquarters. However, the deal can become a reality only when the city council approves it. The new ballpark is scheduled to be built on the land for which Cisco holds a 34 year lease and has the option of buying it out in the next 3 years.

Oakland Athletics have been scouting for a suitable location and funding for a new stadium for several years. They currently share the Oakland Coliseum with NFL’s Oakland Raiders. When they did not find a suitable place in Oakland, they spread their search to the neighboring areas. In fact Lew Wolff had indicated an interest in moving to Fremont in April 2005. Fremont is 25 miles south of Oakland and is on the east side of San Francisco Bay.

Owner Lew Wolff has not informed when the application for development will be submitted to the city. When submitted, the review process would be initiated and at times it can take up to 2 years. If the plan is approved by the city, the Oakland Athletics could playing in Fremont by 2011. However, there are major issues that need to be considered with regard to traffic, parking and accessibility.

Another question that comes to mind is whether the Oakland Athletics would be renamed. Lew Wolff has suggested names like “Freemont A’s” and “Silicon Valley A’s”.