By Mauricio Segura July 1, 2025
Photo: GBT Graphics
Oakland’s professional soccer clubs have officially found a permanent home. After years of uncertainty and temporary agreements, Oakland Roots and their sister team Oakland Soul Sports Club have secured a 15-year lease at the former Raiders training facility in Alameda. The move marks a major step forward for both teams, giving them long-term stability in a city that has seen many of its sports franchises leave.
For four seasons, the clubs operated under a short-term license at the Harbor Bay Parkway site. That chapter is now closed. With this new agreement, the space is being transformed into the UCSF Health Oakland Roots and Soul Performance Center. It includes five acres of playing fields and an 18,000-square-foot indoor facility, providing a professional environment for training, planning, and development.
Once the home of the Raiders before their move to Las Vegas, the facility is already well known in the sports world. In recent years, it has hosted high-level training camps, including sessions with the Mexican Men’s National Team. Now, it serves as the permanent base for two of the most ambitious soccer programs in the Bay Area.
Club president Lindsay Barenz emphasized how important the move is for the future of both teams, saying that having a dedicated training facility is essential for long-term success. Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee also voiced her support, calling the lease great news for the city and a boost for Oakland’s sports culture and economy.
The property was purchased for roughly 24 million dollars by Redco Development, a company that has now entered into a long-term lease with the clubs through 2040. Redco Managing Partner Chris Freise called the partnership a perfect match and expressed confidence in the vision the clubs are building for East Bay soccer.
For Oakland fans, this is a rare win in a decade marked by high-profile departures. The Raiders are gone. The Warriors moved across the Bay. The A’s are leaving for Sacramento. Yet in the middle of all that, the Roots and Soul have not only stayed but doubled down on their local identity. Instead of looking elsewhere, they are investing in a future rooted right in the community.
The facility has already become more than just a place to train. It serves as a community center, hosting youth clinics, coaching workshops, and grassroots events. The Roots Purpose programs use the space to connect with the next generation of athletes and local leaders, turning the field into a platform for engagement and inclusion.
This lease arrives at a key moment. The Roots will remain at the Oakland Coliseum for the 2025 season, while the Soul prepare to enter the professional USL Super League. With that kind of growth on the horizon, having a secure, high-quality home base is no longer a luxury but a necessity.
Beyond the obvious benefits to players and coaches, the new facility helps stabilize the entire organization. It offers the consistency needed for day-to-day operations, long-term planning, and expanded youth programming. It also shows sponsors, fans, and the broader sports world that these teams are serious about staying and building something that lasts.
Looking ahead, the clubs are still exploring the idea of constructing a soccer-specific stadium at Howard Terminal. But even without that next step, the Harbor Bay complex gives them the tools they need to elevate the experience for players and fans alike. It’s a space where high-level competition and community-driven purpose can live side by side.
Oakland Roots and Soul are more than just teams on a schedule. They are symbols of what sports can be when anchored in place and purpose. As they settle into this new chapter, they carry with them the hopes of a city that’s lost too much and now has something to believe in again.
After years of waiting, the message is simple. Oakland soccer finally has a place to call home
