Spotify has terminated its office lease and moved its San Francisco headquarters to another part of town because of safety concerns about crime and drugs near its former headquarters, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. With the move, the Swedish music streaming service also gave up a controversial payroll tax break that enabled its move to the Mid-Market corridor in 2013.

Two former employees who spoke to the Chronicle on condition of anonymity said a Spotify employee was punched in the face by a homeless man last year and that some workers did not feel safe due to open drug dealing, visible poverty and high crime rates in the area.

The Chronicle's report ends with a quote that perhaps further clarifies the decision. One of the former employees also noted that the Swedes who moved to San Francisco to work at the music streaming company were “not used to the homeless crisis in San Francisco.”

Spotify's new offices are in the heart of the financial district, where there are far fewer of the reasons for moving away from Market Street. Thanks to a controversial tax break offered to a number of tech companies in 2011, other firms lured to move to the mid-market, such as Uber and Twitter, still have offices in the area, as does another company with Scandinavian roots, Zendesk.

This is not the first time an organization has made business decisions based on concerns about safety on San Francisco's streets, particularly Market Street. In early 2018, a medical conference decided to move its biannual meeting to another location, citing that San Francisco's streets were too disturbing due to open drug use and threatening behavior.

The post Spotify Strikes Its San Francisco HQ As a consequence of Security Considerations appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — You can expect a busy Friday night on San Francisco streets. Hundreds of bicyclists are expected to hit the city for the monthly Critical Mass ride. And at AT&T Park, AC/DC will hit the stage for the first time in San Francisco 36 years. But for some, it’s not the traffic that’s the issue.

There are renewed noise concerns ahead of the iconic Australian band’s concert. Officials say each tour and artist come with different equipment, leaving technicians to sometimes reinvent the wheel when it comes to reducing noise pollution.

When AC/DC takes the stage at AT&T Park, Kepa Askenasy is hoping the band won’t shake her all night long. She remembers the Rolling Stones concert there in 2005.

“There was an old commercial for some company that makes speakers where the hair went back like this like the wind was coming at them and that’s how it felt here,” she said.

Askenasy says the recent Billy Joel concert also shook her windows about a mile away in Lower Potrero Hill.

“I’m not going to say if I like Billy Joel, the Rolling Stones or ACDC, I’m going to say this is an issue about sound pollution noise pollution,” she said.

Sara Hunt, VP of Giants Enterprises recognizes the issues.

“For Billy Joel we had technicians actually out in the neighborhood taking actual decibel readings,” she said.

Askenasy says she is one of the residents who called a hotline for those technicians but would prefer concert officials adjust the volume in real time.

“It’s not as easy as just turning down a volume knob,” said Hunt.

According to Hunt, officials use the pre-concert sound check to iron out any noise issues ahead of time.

About 50,000 diehard fans are expected to be there, which means a lot of traffic into the city and a late night for neighbors. Gates open at 6 p.m.

The hotline number to issue sound complaints is 415-972-1771.

Copyright © 2023 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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BOSTON (State House News Service) – The population of Massachusetts shrunk by nearly 8,000 people between July 2021 and July 2022, a drop of about 0.1 percent, but the newest estimate released in fresh data from the U.S. Census Bureau puts the state’s population ahead of its revised 2020 Census level.

Boston Red Sox Opening Day at Fenway

The bureau’s “Vintage 2022 estimates of population and components of change” released Thursday estimated a total Massachusetts population of 6,981,974 as of July 1, 2022. That was a decrease of 7,716 people statewide from the estimate for July 1, 2021.

The new data puts numbers to some of the migration concerns that have fueled Gov. Maura Healey’s push for changes to the state’s short-term capital gains and estate taxes, and color the challenges that businesses of all types have been having as they try to hire people in Massachusetts.

“We can’t be the outlier that we are because too many people leave — 100,000 people. More people will leave this week, this month. So we need to do something,” Healey said this week when the Revenue Committee held a hearing on her tax package (H 42). On Wednesday, Housing and Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao said an average of 1,100 residents left Massachusetts per week last year.

The 2020 U.S. Census initially counted 7,029,917 people living in Massachusetts, but the bureau announced last May that it had actually overcounted by 2.24 percent and reduced its population count for the Bay State to 6,784,000 people. Compared to that revised figure, the July 2022 estimate released Thursday would represent an increase of almost 200,000 people. The latest estimate is based on the 2020 Census and more recent data on births, deaths and migration.

Massachusetts experienced 70,019 births and 63,716 deaths between July 1, 2021 and July 1, 2022 — a net “natural increase” of 6,303 people. Over the same time, Massachusetts experienced a net outflow of 57,292 people to other states in the U.S., the UMass Donahue Institute said, and a net inflow of 43,880 people from other countries — resulting in net negative total migration of 13,412 people.

Area economists affiliated with the MassBenchmarks journal reported Thursday that Massachusetts has a “declining labor force and shrinking working age population” and needs to focus on competitiveness issues in the areas of housing, transportation, and high costs relative to other states.

“With little or no labor force or working age population growth, the stateâ€s employers are having to draw on labor from elsewhere,” according to the latest MassBenchmarks bulletin. “Recent growth in the size of neighboring New Hampshire’s labor force (in contrast to the Massachusetts decline) may exemplify that Massachusetts is bringing in labor from other states, whether in-commuting or working remotely.”

The counties that saw the greatest population decline by number from July 2021 to July 2022 were Suffolk County (a loss of 5,384 people), Hampden County (a loss of 1,808 people) and Berkshire County (loss of 762 people). By percentage, the largest decline was in Duke County — Martha’s Vineyard lost 1.14 percent of its roughly 21,000-person population.

Norfolk County saw the largest increase in its population by number and percentage, gaining 839 people over the year, the Census said, a 0.12 percent increase. Worcester County was close behind with a pickup of 795 people, and Bristol County grew by 173 people.

None of Massachusetts’ 14 counties ranked in the top 10 nationwide for population growth or decline, either by total number or by percentage.

Whitman County, Washington, was the fastest-growing county between July 2021 and July 2022 (up 10.1 percent), with the remaining top 10 fastest-growing counties being in Texas (five of the top 10), Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.

“I don’t want to see people going to Texas or to — I mean, Austin’s cool, but whatever — or to Florida, you know, North Carolina. But this is the dynamic right now,” Healey said in early March when she pitched her tax plan to business leaders.

Lassen County, California, declined at the fastest rate (6 percent) and Los Angeles County, California, lost the greatest number of people (about 90,700), according to the new data.

The Census Bureau said that just more than half (52.5 percent) of the nation’s 3,144 counties grew between 2021 and 2022, down from 55.7 percent the year before. Meanwhile 47.1 percent of counties saw population declines and 0.3 percent saw no change.

“The migration and growth patterns for counties edged closer to pre-pandemic levels this year,” Christine Hartley, assistant division chief for estimates and projections in the Census Bureau’s population division, said. “Some urban counties, such as Dallas and San Francisco, saw domestic outmigration at a slower pace between 2021 and 2022, compared to the prior year. Meanwhile, many counties with large universities saw their populations fully rebound this year as students returned.”

[Michael P. Norton contributed reporting]

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NEW YORK (AP) — Target said Tuesday that it will close nine stores in four states, including one in New York City’s East Harlem neighborhood, and three in the San Francisco Bay Area, saying that theft and organized retail crime have threatened the safety of its workers and customers.

The closings, which will be effective Oct. 21, also include three stores in Portland, Oregon, and two in Seattle. Target said that it still will have a combined 150 stores open in the markets where the closures are taking place. It said it will offer affected workers the opportunity to transfer to other stores.

The Minneapolis retailer said the decision to close the stores was difficult.

“We know that our stores serve an important role in their communities, but we can only be successful if the working and shopping environment is safe for all,” Target said in a statement.

Target said it has invested heavily in strategies to prevent theft, such as adding more security workers, using third-party guard services and installing theft-deterrent tools, like locking up merchandise. It also has trained store leaders and security-team members to protect themselves and de-escalate potential safety issues.

But it noted that it still faced “fundamental challenges” to operate the stores safely — and the business performance at the locations slated for closure was unsustainable.

While the store closings account for just a fraction of the 1,900 stores Target operates nationwide, the move underscores the challenges retailers face in reducing theft in stores, protecting their workers and customers, and maintaining locations in areas that might have few shopping alternatives.

For example, the Target store in East Harlem is one of the few choices residents have nearby to buy good quality healthy foods. In San Francisco, the store slated to close is located at 13th Street and Folsom under a busy overpass with homeless tents in a largely commercial neighborhood with auto shops. The other two Bay Area stores being closed are in Oakland and Pittsburg. In Seattle, one of the stores is located on a busy avenue near the University of Washington.

Target CEO Brian Cornell has been one of a handful of retail CEOs flagging what they described as rising theft over the past year or so. Cornell had held steadfast he didn’t want to resort to closing stores despite mounting losses. Target said in May that theft was cutting into its bottom line and it expected related losses could be $500 million more than last year, when losses from theft were estimated to be anywhere from $700 million to $800 million. So that means losses could top $1.2 billion this fiscal year.

Moreover, Cornell told analysts in August that violent incidents against workers at Target stores increased 120% for the first five months of the year compared with the same period a year ago.

“Our team continues to face an unacceptable amount of retail theft and organized retail crime,” Cornell told analysts. “Unfortunately, safety incidents associated with theft are moving in the wrong direction.”

The announcement also comes as Target is still reeling from being targeted for its LGBTQ+ support, in particular its displays of Pride Month merchandise. In late May, ahead of Pride Month, Target pulled some items in particular regions and made other changes after encountering hostility from customers who confronted workers and tipped over displays. Target said the moves were made to protect workers in the stores.

It’s unclear how much money retailers broadly are losing due to organized retail crime — or if the problem has substantially increased. But the issue has received more notice in the past few years as high-profile smash-and-grab retail thefts and flash mob robberies have garnered national media attention. Over the past few quarters, an increasing number of retailers including Dick’s Sporting Goods and Ulta Beauty have been calling out rising theft, citing it a factor in shrinking profits.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told CNBC in December that theft was on the rise at stores. In August, he told analysts that in some jurisdictions in the U.S., there needs to be action taken to help protect people from crime, including theft.

The National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, said its latest security survey of roughly 177 retailers found that inventory loss — called shrink — clocked in at an average rate of 1.6 % last year, representing $112.1 billion in losses. That’s up from 1.4% the previous year.

The greatest portion of shrink — 65% — came from external theft, including products taken during organized shoplifting incidents, the trade group said Tuesday. More than two-thirds of respondents said they were seeing even more violence and aggression from perpetrators of organized retail crime compared with a year ago.

The NRF said that even though retailers continue to improve their loss-prevention measures, sometimes more drastic action must be taken. Nearly 30% of retailers surveyed reported being forced to close a specific store location, and 45% said they needed to reduce operating hours. Roughly 30% said they needed to change or reduce product selection in stores as a direct result of retail crime.

Late last year, Congress passed a bill, called the INFORM ACT, that seeks to combat sales of counterfeit goods and dangerous products by compelling online marketplaces to verify different types of information — including bank account, tax ID and contact details — for sellers who make at least 200 unique sales and earn a minimum of $5,000 in a given year.

Target said Tuesday that it’s making significant investments in cyber defense to combat retail theft and fraud and has teamed up with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations division to combat retail theft.

___

Follow Anne D’Innocenzio: http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio

___

This story has been updated to correct that only one store is being closed in San Francisco, not three. A total of three are being closed in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The post Goal to shut 9 shops, together with 3 within the San Francisco Bay Space, citing security considerations appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

NEW YORK (AP) — Target said Tuesday that it will close nine stores in four states, including one in New York City’s East Harlem neighborhood, and three in the San Francisco Bay Area, saying that theft and organized retail crime have threatened the safety of its workers and customers.

The closings, which will be effective Oct. 21, also include three stores in Portland, Oregon, and two in Seattle. Target said that it still will have a combined 150 stores open in the markets where the closures are taking place. It said it will offer affected workers the opportunity to transfer to other stores.

The Minneapolis retailer said the decision to close the stores was difficult.

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“We know that our stores serve an important role in their communities, but we can only be successful if the working and shopping environment is safe for all,” Target said in a statement.

Target said it has invested heavily in strategies to prevent theft, such as adding more security workers, using third-party guard services and installing theft-deterrent tools, like locking up merchandise. It also has trained store leaders and security-team members to protect themselves and de-escalate potential safety issues.

But it noted that it still faced “fundamental challenges” to operate the stores safely — and the business performance at the locations slated for closure was unsustainable.

While the store closings account for just a fraction of the 1,900 stores Target operates nationwide, the move underscores the challenges retailers face in reducing theft in stores, protecting their workers and customers, and maintaining locations in areas that might have few shopping alternatives.

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For example, the Target store in East Harlem is one of the few choices residents have nearby to buy good quality healthy foods. In San Francisco, the store slated to close is located at 13th Street and Folsom under a busy overpass with homeless tents in a largely commercial neighborhood with auto shops. The other two Bay Area stores being closed are in Oakland and Pittsburg. In Seattle, one of the stores is located on a busy avenue near the University of Washington.

Target CEO Brian Cornell has been one of a handful of retail CEOs flagging what they described as rising theft over the past year or so. Cornell had held steadfast he didn’t want to resort to closing stores despite mounting losses. Target said in May that theft was cutting into its bottom line and it expected related losses could be $500 million more than last year, when losses from theft were estimated to be anywhere from $700 million to $800 million. So that means losses could top $1.2 billion this fiscal year.

Moreover, Cornell told analysts in August that violent incidents against workers at Target stores increased 120% for the first five months of the year compared with the same period a year ago.

“Our team continues to face an unacceptable amount of retail theft and organized retail crime,” Cornell told analysts. “Unfortunately, safety incidents associated with theft are moving in the wrong direction.”

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Article continues below this ad

The announcement also comes as Target is still reeling from being targeted for its LGBTQ+ support, in particular its displays of Pride Month merchandise. In late May, ahead of Pride Month, Target pulled some items in particular regions and made other changes after encountering hostility from customers who confronted workers and tipped over displays. Target said the moves were made to protect workers in the stores.

It’s unclear how much money retailers broadly are losing due to organized retail crime — or if the problem has substantially increased. But the issue has received more notice in the past few years as high-profile smash-and-grab retail thefts and flash mob robberies have garnered national media attention. Over the past few quarters, an increasing number of retailers including Dick’s Sporting Goods and Ulta Beauty have been calling out rising theft, citing it a factor in shrinking profits.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told CNBC in December that theft was on the rise at stores. In August, he told analysts that in some jurisdictions in the U.S., there needs to be action taken to help protect people from crime, including theft.

The National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, said its latest security survey of roughly 177 retailers found that inventory loss — called shrink — clocked in at an average rate of 1.6 % last year, representing $112.1 billion in losses. That’s up from 1.4% the previous year.

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad

The greatest portion of shrink — 65% — came from external theft, including products taken during organized shoplifting incidents, the trade group said Tuesday. More than two-thirds of respondents said they were seeing even more violence and aggression from perpetrators of organized retail crime compared with a year ago.

The NRF said that even though retailers continue to improve their loss-prevention measures, sometimes more drastic action must be taken. Nearly 30% of retailers surveyed reported being forced to close a specific store location, and 45% said they needed to reduce operating hours. Roughly 30% said they needed to change or reduce product selection in stores as a direct result of retail crime.

Late last year, Congress passed a bill, called the INFORM ACT, that seeks to combat sales of counterfeit goods and dangerous products by compelling online marketplaces to verify different types of information — including bank account, tax ID and contact details — for sellers who make at least 200 unique sales and earn a minimum of $5,000 in a given year.

Target said Tuesday that it’s making significant investments in cyber defense to combat retail theft and fraud and has teamed up with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations division to combat retail theft.

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad

This story has been updated to correct that only one store is being closed in San Francisco, not three. A total of three are being closed in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The post Goal to shut 9 shops, together with 3 within the San Francisco Bay Space, citing security considerations appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Cole Hardware’s SoMa store will shut its doors on May 31 due to a declining customer base and security concerns, its CFO Rick Karp told The Standard. The company also alerted customers to its closure via a recent email announcement.

The 103-year-old San Francisco hardware store chain had bet big on SoMa before the pandemic as developments popped up around the once up-and-coming neighborhood. 

But since the pandemic, the customer base has been steadily shrinking as incidents with crime and nuisance behavior become more prevalent, according to Karp, who goes by the moniker of Keeper of the Karma, rather than CFO. 

READ MORE: Downtown San Francisco: Human Waste Increasingly Found in Westfield Mall Elevators, Staff Say

The 345 Ninth St. location, just blocks from Twitter HQ, had its window smashed at around 10 a.m. Tuesday by a passerby, according to Karp. San Francisco police could not find a report of the incident, but Karp said the store would only call the police if it intended to file a report for insurance purposes.

“Somebody decided to break our front window, just smashed it with their backpack and kept walking,” Karp said. “Our staff have issues with individuals on a daily basis. Security is definitely an issue.” 

But the main issue for the company is the declining customer base that just keeps getting worse, said Karp. 

“Instead of getting close to breaking even, we’re getting further and further away,” Karp said.

Cole’s isn’t the first business to drop out of SoMa, which is often referred to as the neighborhood that’s second-most affected by the city’s drug crisis. In February, Samy’s Camera on the corner of Ninth and Bryant streets also closed its doors.  Ace Plumbing and Rooter Inc. banners now hang from the building Samy’s once occupied.

“I think SoMa’s issues will be chronic for many years to come,” said Karp.

The SoMa store is having a closing-down sale, all items are 25% off.

The post SoMa Cole {Hardware} Closing as Gross sales Drop, Safety Issues appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Some short-term renters in the Bay Area are feeling the pressure this summer. Airbnb bookings have been declining in San Francisco, and property owners believe this is happening for a number of reasons.

As tourism picks up again, big companies are still moving out of town, resulting in fewer business leases. And hotels offer better deals.

Some hosts also believe that visitor safety perceptions could be an issue. The head of a host advocacy group says there are ways to address these concerns.

“Hosts also advise on how to ensure that (tenants) do not become victims of crime. So if you’re driving into town in a rental car, make sure you don’t leave any valuables in it,” said Peter Kwan, co-chair of the Home Sharers Democratic Club. “I point out areas that aren’t so safe.”

He also believes San Francisco’s tourist areas are as safe as any other major city.

Kwan recommends hosts entice renters with a new post, new rental pictures, and even discounted prices.

While Airbnb didn’t provide specific details on the bookings, it did say that the typical Airbnb host in San Francisco made about $26,200 in 2022, up from $18,900 in 2019.

The post Quick-term rental considerations in San Francisco – NBC Bay Space appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Elon Musk’s big bet that Tesla price cuts could boost sales and profits amid increased competition and poor economic sentiment appears to be yielding mixed results. Sales soared and the company beat analysts’ expectations for net income in the April-June quarter, even as the company’s profit margins declined. Tesla shares followed suit in after-hours trading.

The Austin, Texas-based maker of electric vehicles, solar panels and batteries reported net income of $2.7 billion in the quarter, up 20% year over year. Earnings per share also rose 20% to 78 cents as measured using generally accepted accounting principles. Total revenue increased 47% to $24.93 billion.

However, analysts tend to focus on Tesla’s own earnings measure, which excludes stock-based compensation expense. Using that metric, Tesla’s net income rose to $3.15 billion, or 91 cents a share, comfortably beating the average analyst estimate of 80 cents a share, according to FactSet. Some analysts had expected falling profits due to the price cuts.

However, Tesla shares initially remained flat around $292 in after-hours trading immediately following the release of the earnings report, climbing slightly above its close of $291.26. As Tesla executives spoke to analysts on a conference call, shares plunged more than 4%.

Tesla reported strong vehicle shipment numbers on July 2, saying they were up 83% from the year-ago quarter after the company repeatedly slashed prices on its four electric vehicle models. Tesla sold a record 466,140 vehicles worldwide from April to June, almost double the same period last year (254,695).

The vast majority of these sales were for Tesla’s popular Model 3 sedans and Model Y crossover SUVs.

However, the earnings report delivered mixed messages on one of the larger questions facing Tesla: whether the automaker’s rebate strategy can increase sales while preserving its profit margins. Tesla’s operating margin, which measures how efficiently it converts sales into pre-tax profits, fell to 9.6% in the April-June quarter, a notable decline from 14.6% a year earlier. The key figure also fell sharply in the January-March quarter.

While profitability and pricing pressures continue to weigh on Tesla, Edward Jones analyst Jeff Windau said he found some comments from management on cost controls optimistic and said the company’s overall performance remains solid.

“The long-term drivers of growth remain and there will only be short-term headwinds in the current environment that we are in,” he said.

On the company’s conference call with analysts, Musk praised the company’s performance despite high interest rates and what he called significant economic uncertainty, then quickly switched to the topic of Tesla’s advanced projects like its so-called “full self-driving” software.

Despite the name, software-enabled Tesla cars can’t drive themselves, and the company warns drivers to be ready to intervene at all times. Musk praised Tesla’s work on a new machine learning system called Dojo, which the company plans to use to improve its self-driving software.

Musk also said Tesla should deliver its long-promised Cybertruck — an unusual-looking pickup truck with an angular design that couldn’t look out of place in a Mad Max movie — by the end of the year. Tesla announced on Saturday that the first Cybertruck had rolled off the assembly line.

However, analysts aren’t convinced the vehicle will be widely available anytime soon, not least because other automakers have already unveiled conventional-looking electric pickups like the Ford F-150 Lightning.

“I don’t think we’re going to see significant volume, especially this year,” said Seth Goldstein, an analyst at Morningstar Research. “Not even next year. Maybe we’ll be looking more to 2025, 26, 27 until we see them.”

(Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, transcribed, or redistributed without permission.)

The post Tesla Revenue Jumps 20%, However Shares Fall After Hours Amid Revenue Considerations | Information appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Cole Hardware’s SoMa store will close its doors on May 31 due to a dwindling customer base and safety concerns, CFO Rick Karp told The Standard. The company also recently emailed its customers about the closure.

The 103-year-old San Francisco home improvement chain had bet heavily on SoMa prior to the pandemic as new developments loomed in the once-thriving neighborhood.

But since the pandemic, the customer base has steadily shrunk as incidents of crime and harassing behavior have become more common, according to Karp, who doesn’t call himself CFO but “Keeper of the Karma.”

CONTINUE READING: Downtown San Francisco: Human waste is increasingly being found in Westfield Mall elevators, employees say

Karp said the window of the 345 Ninth St. location, just blocks from Twitter’s headquarters, was smashed by a passerby around 10 a.m. Tuesday. San Francisco police couldn’t find a report of the incident, but Karp said the store would only call the police if it planned to file a report for insurance purposes.

“Someone decided to break our front window, just smashed it with their backpack and walked on,” Karp said. “Our employees have problems with individuals on a daily basis. Safety is definitely an issue.”

The main problem for the company, however, is the ever-declining customer base, said Karp.

“Instead of coming close to breaking even, we’re getting further and further away from it,” Karp said.

Cole’s isn’t the first company to exit SoMa, which is often dubbed the neighborhood second hardest hit by the city’s drug crisis. Samy’s Camera on the corner of Ninth Street and Bryant Street also closed its doors in February. Ace Plumbing and Rooter Inc. banners now hang from the building where Samy once lived.

“I think SoMa’s problems will remain chronic for many years to come,” Karp said.

There is a final sale in the SoMa store, with a 25% discount on all items.

The post SoMa Cole {Hardware} Closing as Gross sales Drop, Safety Considerations appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Die Oakland Athletics halten das Coliseum seit langem für nicht akzeptabel als Austragungsort für Major League Baseball. Es handelt sich um eine Botschaft, die zum Teil so gestaltet ist, dass sie zu ihrer Erzählung passt und eine mögliche Entscheidung für einen Umzug nach Las Vegas rechtfertigt. Aber die A’s tragen auch einen Teil der Verantwortung für die Wartung und Instandhaltung der Anlage.

Einerseits wird von den Besitzern schlecht über das Lokal geredet, was einigermaßen verständlich ist, wenn man bedenkt, dass es 58 Jahre alt ist. Andererseits spielt Teambesitzer John Fisher eine Rolle bei der Präsentation.

Die Liste der Nachteile bei A-Spielen ist lang und gut dokumentiert. Die veraltete Anlage. Der Schandfleck von Mount Davis. Langsame Linien. Und natürlich die Bedenken hinsichtlich Abwasser, Wildkatzen und Opossums.

Was nicht genau dokumentiert ist, ist die Aufteilung der Wartungs- und Instandhaltungsaufgaben und die Frage, wer wofür zuständig ist. Die alte Struktur erfordert zahlreiche Reparaturen, Verbesserungen und Pflege von einer umfangreichen Belegschaft, bevor wir jemals die Worte „Spielen“ hören.

Die Verantwortung liegt bei drei Einheiten: den A’s, der Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority und ASM Global, eine komplexe Zusammenarbeit, die manchmal Streitigkeiten und Schuldzuweisungen beinhaltet.

Die ständige Kritik des Teams am Kolosseum kann ein heikles Thema für die Coliseum Authority sein, die die gemeinsame Behörde ist, die die Anlage verwaltet, eine öffentliche Partnerschaft zwischen der Stadt Oakland und dem Landkreis Alameda.

„Es ist Teil der Marketingstrategie, dass der Ort heruntergekommen ist und wir deshalb eine neue Einrichtung brauchen“, sagte Henry Gardner, der Geschäftsführer der JPA. „Vielleicht brauchen Sie eine Einrichtung, aber machen Sie uns nicht kaputt. Es handelt sich nicht um eine hochmoderne Einrichtung, aber sie wurde gepflegt und funktioniert immer noch recht gut. Für uns gibt es nichts, wofür wir uns schämen müssten.“

Gardner, ein ehemaliger Stadtverwalter von Oakland, der seit 2019 die JPA leitet – ein achtköpfiges Gremium aus Kommissaren, vier aus der Stadt, vier aus dem Landkreis – sagte, er habe eine gute Arbeitsbeziehung mit David Rinetti, A’s Vizepräsident für Stadionbetrieb , und Nicole Strange, Geschäftsführerin von ASM Global, der von der JPA beauftragten Veranstaltungsortverwaltungsgesellschaft mit der Überwachung der Anlage.

Die mehrstufige Verwaltung der Immobilie kann manchmal zu Unstimmigkeiten führen. Zwei Beispiele sind ein harter Brief, den Rinetti letzten Frühling an Gardner schickte, in dem er auf viele Probleme im Kolosseum verwies, und ein potenziell lukratives internationales Cricket-Event für den nächsten Sommer, das aufgrund von Terminunsicherheiten nicht nach Oakland kam.

Laut Rinetti zahlen die A’s als Mieter – die jährliche Pacht beträgt 1,25 Millionen US-Dollar – die Kosten im Zusammenhang mit der Durchführung von Spielen und der Auslagerung von Essenskonzessionen, Parkbetrieb, Hausmeisterarbeiten und Sicherheits-/Polizei-/Rettungsdiensten.

Die A’s kümmern sich intern um die Gästebetreuung, einschließlich Platzanweisern, Ticketverkäufern und Ticketnehmern. Aramark ist der Konzessionär des Kolosseums, angeheuert von den A’s. ASM Global übernimmt die Dienste an Nicht-A-Spieltagen. Das Unternehmen verfügt über Ingenieurteams für Elektro- und Sanitärtechnik, die an Spieltagen von den A’s finanziert werden, an Spieltagen der A’s jedoch von ASM Global, einschließlich der Nebensaison.

„Wenn ein Rohr bricht, ist die Einrichtung (ASM Global) für die Reparatur verantwortlich, aber wir sind dafür verantwortlich, ihre Zeit zu bezahlen, wenn sie während unserer Spiele anfällt“, sagte Rinetti. „Wenn der Anlage etwas zustößt, während wir nicht spielen, wird alles von der Anlage abgedeckt.“

Ein Beispiel für die Annäherung der Mannschaften war der 7. Mai 2019, als Mike Fiers die Reds nicht traf. Sein erster Pitch war für 19:07 Uhr angesetzt, wurde aber erst um 20:45 Uhr geworfen, weil eine Lichterkette über dem linken Feld nicht vollständig beleuchtet war.

Vor-Ort-Ingenieure, Angestellte von ASM Global, die jedoch von den A’s finanziert wurden, weil die Störung während der Planung eines Spiels auftrat, wurden gerufen. Da die Ingenieure kurz davor standen, das Problem vollständig zu beheben, wurde das Kolosseum als spielbar eingestuft und die Reparaturen wurden im Spiel durchgeführt.

Dann ist da noch das Opossum im Pressefach. Gary Cohen, Play-by-Play-Mann der Mets, der zu Besuch war, sagte während eines Spiels am 15. April auf Sendung, dass das Opossum „anscheinend irgendwo in der Wand hinter der Fernsehkabine der Besucher lebt“ und dass „er sich als schwer fassbar erwiesen hat“, während er sagte, dass das Opossum diese Kabine benutzt als Toilette.

Rinetti behauptet, kein Opossum sei in der Kabine gewesen, als die Mets in der Stadt waren.

„Es stimmte nicht, dass dort etwas lebte“, sagte Rinetti über die New York-Serie. „Seit der Eröffnungsnacht war dort nichts mehr.“

Andererseits hatte Cohen Recht, als er einen Gestank in der Kabine als Grund anführte, warum das Übertragungsteam der Mets (und später auch der Cubs) die Plätze im Pressefach vertauschte. Rinetti sagte, ein Team habe die Kabine renoviert und den Geruch entfernt, um sie für den letzten Homestand nutzbar zu machen.

Dann sind da noch die wilden Katzen des Kolosseums. Obwohl bekannt war, dass sich während der Pandemie Dutzende Katzen in der Einrichtung aufhielten, sagte Rinetti, er habe in dieser Saison nur eine oder zwei gesehen, was das Ergebnis der Bemühungen sei, sie zu vertreiben.

„Das Kolosseum ist eine Außenanlage“, sagte Gardner und wies darauf hin, dass ein solches Bauwerk unmöglich alle Lebewesen fernhalten könne. „Jemand hat mir erzählt, dass es in Las Vegas Klapperschlangen gibt. Das können Sie ausdrucken.“

Obwohl die A’s, JPA und ASM Global gegenseitigen Respekt zum Ausdruck gebracht und jahrelang zusammengearbeitet haben, um das Kolosseum funktionsfähig zu halten, kommt es manchmal zu Spannungen. Rinettis Brief an die JPA vom 12. Mai 2022, in dem er sechs Probleme im Kolosseum anführte, die angegangen werden müssten, wurde von Gardner nicht besonders begrüßt, der die Agenda der A in Frage stellte.

Zu den im Brief des A geäußerten Bedenken gehörten Wasserleitungen, Wasserlecks, kaputte Sitze und das Eindringen von Katzen und Motten. Rinetti fragte Gardner, was getan werden könne, um die Probleme zu mildern.

Rinetti sagte, die JPA habe die meisten Probleme gelöst. Gardner sagte, alle seien angesprochen worden, schätze aber nicht, wie die A’s ihn informiert hätten, und fügte hinzu, dass solche Angelegenheiten normalerweise per Telefonanruf, E-Mail oder persönlich geklärt würden und dass Rinetti und Strange regelmäßig reden.

„Als ich den Unsinn angesprochen habe, war ich heißer als eine Pistole“, sagte Gardner, dessen Reaktion auf den Brief auf der JPA-Website rot markiert ist. „Ich erzählte ihnen von der Geschichte, woher dieses Geld kommt und wohin es fließt, und dass es sich um eine alte, aber funktionsfähige Einrichtung handelt.

„Die Probleme wurden bereits angegangen. Sie müssen mir keinen Brief schicken und ihn dann in die Welt hinausschicken. Die Presse rief mich an, bevor ich das verdammte Ding sah. Alles Teil der Strategie. Ich wurde gestern nicht geboren.“

Rinetti sagte, der Grund für den Brief sei einfach. „Wir haben zu Beginn der Saison gemerkt, dass Dinge angegangen werden müssen. Deshalb wurde der Brief geschrieben. Sonst nichts darüber hinaus.“

Was die Cricket-Gelegenheit angeht, waren die JPA und ASM Global von der Idee begeistert, dass der International Cricket Council im nächsten Sommer T-20-Weltmeisterschaftsspiele der Männer im Coliseum veranstalten könnte. Die A’s waren nicht vollständig engagiert und verwiesen auf mögliche Terminkonflikte.

„Die Begeisterung (von den Einsen) war nicht da und uns lief die Zeit davon“, sagte Gardner. „Der IStGH wollte das wirklich tun und hat so lange durchgehalten, wie er konnte. Es hätte Oakland auf die Weltkarte gebracht. Es war eine große verpasste Chance für Oakland und Alameda County.“

Laut Gardner mochten die ICC-Beamten das Kolosseum wegen der großen Kapazität und der großen Spielfeldgröße – das Extra-Foul-Territorium im Baseball passt zu einem ovalen Grundriss für ein Cricketfeld. Der ICC wollte auch die Cricket-Fangemeinde der Bay Area, einschließlich ihrer großen indischen und südasiatischen Gemeinden, erschließen.

Gardner sagte, er habe von den ICC-Beamten gehört, dass für die weithin als zweitbeliebteste Sportart der Welt nach Fußball geltende Menge an Kolosseumsmassen, eine Milliarde Aufrufe und Millionen von Dollar für die Stadt und den Landkreis zu erwarten gewesen wären.

Der ICC hätte ein Zeitfenster von 10 Tagen benötigt, um das Spielfeld von Baseball auf Cricket umzustellen, die Spiele auszutragen und wieder auf Baseball umzustellen. Der ICC wollte über den Winter einen Probeumbau durchführen und hätte den gesamten Betrag bezahlt, bis zu 250.000 US-Dollar, aber Gardner sagte, die A’s hätten bei einem Probebetrieb nicht alles gegeben.

„Wir brauchten enthusiastische Unterstützung von den A’s, die sehr deutlich machten, dass sie keine Kontrolle über den Zeitplan hatten“, sagte Gardner. „Aber ohne die Unterstützung der A’s hätte die Major League Baseball nichts unternehmen können, damit der Zeitplan funktioniert. Der IStGH sagte schließlich: „Wir müssen weitermachen.“ ”

Rinetti sagte, MLB hätte ein 10-Tage-Fenster so weit im Voraus nicht garantieren können und dass ein Zeitplan den Teams im Allgemeinen erst im vergangenen Mai bekannt sei und dass der ICC mehr im Voraus wissen müsse.

„Sie könnten es so interpretieren, wie sie wollen, dass wir enthusiastisch sind“, sagte Rinetti über die JPA, „aber mir war klar, dass wir nichts tun konnten, bis wir den Zeitplan von der Major League Baseball erhielten.“ Es war nicht so, dass wir nicht wollten, dass es passiert. Wir konnten ihnen die Garantie nicht geben.

„Ich habe auch erklärt, dass die Teams versuchen, die Roadtrips mit drei Teams zu vermeiden. Das kommt heute viel seltener vor. Das hat mit dem neuen, ausgewogeneren Spielplan zu tun, bei dem Teams gegen jedes andere Team spielen.“

Obwohl Rinetti sagte, dass regnerisches Wetter einen Testumbau wahrscheinlich verhindert hätte, glaubt Gardner, dass er hätte eingezwängt werden können.

Im Gegensatz zum Oracle Park und Chase Center befindet sich das Coliseum-Gelände zu je 50 % in öffentlichem Besitz der Stadt und des Landkreises, die in den 1960er Jahren das Grundstück und den Bau finanziert haben. Mitte der 1990er Jahre wurde das Kolosseum rekonstruiert und die Arena renoviert, und die Öffentlichkeit zahlt noch immer für alles. Der Schuldendienst für beide Einrichtungen beläuft sich auf über 20 Millionen US-Dollar pro Jahr für Bauprojekte, die den Raiders und Warriors und nicht den A’s zugute kamen.

Laut JPA-Haushaltshaushalt belaufen sich die Zahlungen für den Schuldendienst in diesem Jahr auf 11 Millionen US-Dollar für das Kolosseum und 9,97 Millionen US-Dollar für die Arena, also insgesamt 21 Millionen US-Dollar. Die Kolosseum-Schulden in Höhe von 23,9 Millionen US-Dollar werden schließlich im Februar 2025 und die Arena-Schulden in Höhe von 32,9 Millionen US-Dollar im Februar 2026 getilgt.

Die A’s sind gerade dabei, den Anteil des Landkreises am Grundstück zu kaufen, werden es aber erst im Februar 2026 vollständig besitzen. In diesem Deal haben sich die A’s verpflichtet, den Pauschalbetrag zurückzuzahlen, wenn sie vor diesem Datum aus Oakland ausziehen.

Was die andere Hälfte betrifft, so nahm die Stadt im Februar exklusive Verhandlungen über eine Vereinbarung mit der African American Sports and Entertainment Group auf, die versuchen wird, den Standort zu entwickeln und ein WNBA-Team nach Oakland zu bringen. Alle Entscheidungen darüber, was mit der Immobilie geschehen soll, müssen von beiden Seiten vereinbart werden.

Die A’s haben Millionen in die Verbesserung des Kolosseums investiert, darunter das Tree House, den Stomping Ground, die Shibe Park Tavern und das Championship Plaza, sowie in Modernisierungen in Form von Lounge-Sitzen, Terrassentischen, Theaterlogen, Feldlogenplätzen und dem Unterdeck-Außenfeld Gruppenbereiche an den Foul-Polen.

„Wir tun alles, um die Atmosphäre im Stadion fanfreundlich und zu einem tollen Erlebnis zu machen“, sagte Rinetti. „Wenn man die Dinge gesehen hat, die wir in den letzten fünf Jahren gemacht haben, ist es definitiv besser geworden.“

Trotz der Spannungen und der schlechten Presse beurteilt Strange, die General Managerin des Kolosseums und der Arena von ASM Global, das Anwesen positiv und nennt es einen „Traumstandort“. ASM Global betreibt Hunderte von Stadien, Arenen, Kongresszentren und Zentren für darstellende Künste weltweit, bucht und verwaltet Nicht-A-Veranstaltungen in beiden Einrichtungen in Oakland und rühmt sich, dass ein Bad Bunny-Konzert im vergangenen Jahr die Veranstaltung mit den höchsten Einnahmen in der Geschichte des Coliseum hervorgebracht hat.

„Hier entstehen so viele tolle Erinnerungen“, sagte Strange. „Das Feld ist wunderschön. So viel gute Stimmung und Nostalgie. Ich hasse es, wenn es verprügelt wird, weil es ein toller Ort ist. Es ist ein sehr historisches Gebäude, dient aber dennoch hervorragend als Austragungsort für Spiele und Konzerte der Major League Baseball. Im Kolosseum ist noch viel Leben übrig.“

Erreichen Sie John Shea: jshea@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @JohnSheaHey

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