Local government officials aren’t optimistic about the
likelihood of a major league professional sports team relocating to
Morgan Hill, a cause for which one local property owner has
launched a marketing campaign.
Local government officials aren’t optimistic about the likelihood of a major league professional sports team relocating to Morgan Hill, a cause for which one local property owner has launched a marketing campaign.
Julie Borina Driscoll, general partner and trustee of Borina Trust and Borina Enterprises, LP, wrote letters to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and the Oakland Raiders football team this week urging them to consider making Morgan Hill their home city for “the benefit of humankind.”
Driscoll explained, both in her letter and in a telephone interview Monday, how a professional sports team with a multi-use professional stadium would stimulate Morgan Hill’s economy. She said specifically the city’s “southeast quadrant” is an ideal location as the land is flat and the city has already considered a plan to use that area for sports and recreational uses. Plus, the weather in Morgan Hill is “perfect” for outdoor sports spectating, and the city, county and local businesses would cash in on the sales revenues such an attraction would bring.
“There would be a ripple effect,” said Driscoll. “It would help the infrastructure, the police, the fire department. I think it would an extremely positive thing for everyone in Morgan Hill.”
She described how the large crowds that would be attracted by the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Athletics, or the Raiders would spend money at local restaurants and hotels, encourage people to stay in town for several days at a time, and would allow people to enjoy the outdoor recreational opportunities offered in South County.
The average 49ers game, for example, would likely bring 65,000 spectators, plus stadium and team employees to Morgan Hill, nearly doubling the city’s population on Sunday afternoons in the fall.
Such large crowds, to which the city is unaccustomed, would bring additional traffic that could put a strain on local roads. Proposed improvements to the U.S. 101 interchange at Tennant Avenue, a $16 million project that could be finished by 2010 if funding is secured, are designed to handle heavier traffic loads.
Driscoll said as some of the area’s teams are in the process of negotiations with various parties to change locations, now is a good time to attempt to seduce them into Morgan Hill. The 49ers have shown strong interest in moving their home location to Santa Clara, and the Athletics have been eying Fremont as their potential new home.
Driscoll said Morgan Hill is preferable to those locations because the two cities are too “industrialized.”
Supervisor Don Gage is not dismissive of the idea of bringing another major league sports team to Santa Clara County, but he said Morgan Hill may not be the best site. He said he would bring such a team to one of the county’s parks, like Hellyer Park in South San Jose, because the county already owns the land, and there would be enough room for parking.
“A baseball or football team would generate a lot of revenue,” Gage said.
Driscoll also sent her letter to Morgan Hill officials.
Councilman Greg Sellers said bringing the Athletics to Morgan Hill would be “a dream come true” for him, as he is a die-hard fan. But he noted the difficulty and likely costs involved in luring such a high-profile organization to a small town.
“In a perfect world, it would be great, but I think there’s some significant concerns about the cost to the community,” Sellers said. “If it would cost the community money, I don’t think it would be appropriate right now.”
He noted that typically when major league teams look for a location, they ask for a significant financial contribution from the city, and they need a large fan base.
But, he said if people in Morgan Hill showed a lot of interest, bringing a major league sports team would be worth considering.
He also suggested that something on a “smaller scale,” such as a minor league team, might be more realistic for Morgan Hill.
Santa Clara County is currently the home of the San Jose Sharks professional hockey team, and the San Jose Earthquakes soccer team. The Earthquakes are currently in negotiations to bring their office and training headquarters to Morgan Hill, at a site on Condit Road that is across the street from the city’s outdoor sports complex.
Driscoll owns property near the intersection of Tennant and Hill avenues, and she manages properties owned by her family for the Borina Trust and Borina Enterprises. She noted that while her five acres would likely gain value if a professional sports team played next door, that is not the reason she is promoting the idea, which she said originated with her neighbor.
In addition to the financial boon that hundreds of thousands of visitors could bring to Morgan Hill, a stadium is a better use for the surrounding property than current uses.
“The property is blight now,” Driscoll said. “I’m saying we should turn the blight into something positive, and use the land to its fullest extent.”
Spokespeople for the Athletics, Raiders and 49ers could not be reached by press time.
Bay Area major league teams
– San Francisco 49ers: National Football League team that was established in the Bay Area in 1950. The team currently plays at Candlestick Park, but has sought to build a new stadium to the south in Santa Clara since negotiations to build a new facility in San Francisco fell through.
– Oakland Raiders: Began playing in the American Football League in 1960, and joined the NFL in 1970 when the two leagues merged. The Raiders moved to Los Angeles in 1982 and stayed there until 1995, when they moved back to Oakland. They currently play at McAfee Coliseum.
– Oakland Athletics: One of Major League Baseball’s original franchises, the A’s were founded in 1901. They moved to Oakland in 1968, and have played in the Oakland Coliseum since then. The A’s are currently in negotiations to move their home about 20 miles southeast to Fremont.
