Go A's!
Instead of the typical single-story elementary school campus spread over 8 to 10 acres, as often is found in the suburbs, Oakland A's officials envision a multistory "urban" school to become part of its proposed ballpark village.
An urban-style school would cover less acreage, with classrooms built atop one another.
Last month, the A's proposed a
4-acre site for the school. On Monday, team co-owner Keith Wolff said the ballclub is considering a two- or three-story school and is looking at the Horace Mann Elementary campus in San Jose as a model.
Schools Superintendent Doug Gephart, who has visited the San Jose campus, said the school boasted an outstanding facility, from an architectural and educational standpoint. However, its playground was smaller than desired, he said, adding that A's officials are aware of the district's wish for more play space.
The proposed ballpark village, near Interstate 880 and Auto Mall Parkway, would feature a 32,000-seat stadium and a mix of retail shops, offices and residences.
Some of the residences would be three to four stories high.
Because of the greater housing density, the neighborhood could generate anywhere from 600 to 1,000 new students, Gephart said. The key, he added, is to design a campus with the flexibility to expand if necessary.
The A's latest plans, with the focus on the school, will be presented at Wednesday's school board meeting.
In preliminary designs earlier this year, an elementary school had been penciled to go up near Tri-Cities Landfill at the end of Auto Mall Parkway. But some Fremont residents objected to the location. Now, the plan is to place a school east of Cushing Parkway, "in the heart of the residential development," Wolff said. "To provide a K-6 school that serves the need of the population generated by our project ... that's still our commitment to the city," he said.
