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Giants Push Ballot Measure Over New Neighborhood Near AT&T Park

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) – While there is no World Series this year for the San Francisco Giants, the team is still in battle mode. Their fight this fall is about land near AT&T park.

Right now it's a parking lot. But if voters give the nod to Measure D on Election Day, it will be one big step toward becoming a whole new neighborhood, filled with parks, affordable housing, high rises, and if it all works out, a whole lot of new money for the Giants.

"We feel it's a risk worth taking because it's an opportunity for our fans, an opportunity for all of us to keep the Giants on a solid footing for years to come and to compete favorably against other teams," Giants president and CEO Larry Baer told KPIX 5.

It would also give the giants control of the area around the park for decades to come.

"We want to make sure that as the area gets built out, that the fans have as good and experience as they are having now," Baer said.

Jon Golinger, who has helped lead the charges against other high-rise developments, said it's a nice idea, but way too tall for the waterfront.

"This is basically a business decision, it's not about baseball," Golinger said. "There are hundreds of millions of dollars at stake."

Andy Dolich, who teaches sports management at the University of San Francisco, said the Giants are doing what a number of other teams are doing these days, including the Warriors with their proposed $1 billion arena and office complex.

"San Francisco has exploded," Dolich said. "The Giants are taking advantage of it."

More money could also give them a leg up on bigger markets like New York or Los Angeles.

"It's not a direct relationship, but it is going to do nothing but help the Giants stay competitive and get back to the World Series," Dolich said.

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