The Oakland Roots soccer team has won approval to turn its Alameda practice facility into a temporary home stadium, following a unanimous Planning Board vote this week.
The vote Monday allows the organization to transform its current practice facility at 1150 and 1220 Harbor Bay Parkway into a game-day venue.
“So many of you showed up in person, logged on virtually, emailed, and spoke up along the way, and the City heard you loud and clear,” team officials said in an email to fans Wednesday. “This is your win as much as ours.”
The Planning Board’s decision follows a previous approval by the Alameda City Council and allows the team to install modular stands, stadium lighting and other temporary facilities in order to host up to 27 matches with up to 8,000 spectators and several smaller sports events every year, according to city documents.
It also allows the club’s women’s team, Soul SC, to host up to seven matches with up to 3,000 attendees.
A silver and black legacy
The Roots Alameda facility was the long-time practice space for the former Oakland Raiders football team.
The 17-acre property currently has office space, training facilities, a parking lot and practice fields and is located at the eastern end of the Harbor Bay Business Park near the intersection of Harbor Bay and Ron Cowan parkways, and close to the Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport.
The Roots spent the past two years playing at the Oakland Coliseum and before that, they played at California State University, East Bay in Hayward.
Monday’s vote allows the team to play at the Alameda location for up to five years.
The team is also in the midst of a drive to drum up $15 million in investments to fund the stadium upgrades, support operations through the 2027 season and “maintain momentum toward a permanent waterfront home at Howard Terminal,” according to the team website.
Howard Terminal is a property inside the Port of Oakland where the former Oakland A’s baseball team sought, and failed, to build a stadium.
A member of the USL Championship league, the Roots finished 10th out of 12 teams in Group B, with 9 wins, 11 draws and 10 losses in the 2026 season.
