Oakland is among a number of semi-finalist cities seeking an opportunity to be a World Cup host city.
The Oakland City Council will discuss next week to enter a Host City Agreement between FIFA and USA Bid Committee Inc. to host the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup.
According to a city staff report, Oakland’s bid has survived various stages of USA Bid’s selection process, and is now one of the 27 semi-finalist cities. The USA Bid Committee will select 18 cities as finalists for its bid proposal to FIFA in December of this year.
The staff report said a study conducted by Economic Research Associates found that the total economic impact projected for any one Host City ranges from approximately $300-$500 million using 2009 dollars. It also expects that between 5,000 and 8,000 new jobs would be created by the preparation and operation of the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup.
The cost of continuing the bid process are estimated at roughly $20,000 or less, according to the staff report.
The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum would be the site of the festivities. The stadium has a seating capacity of 63,026 and hosts Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics and the National Football League’s Oakland Raiders.
An online petition to see Oakland host the event can be signed at the GoUSAbid.com Web site.
According to the Web site, “The Bay Area has already been an enthusiastic and successful host to more than one FIFA World Cup tournament. Huge crowds gathered at Stanford Stadium in nearby Palo Alto to watch several games in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, as well as the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup – when over 70,000 turned out to watch the U.S. Women’s team defeat Brazil on their way to the tournament championship. “
James Spencer can be reached at jspencer@publicceo.com
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