Silicon Valley leaders and sports big-wigs drummed up major hype around building a national cricket stadium at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds four years ago. But talks have fallen through — and there are several takes on what went wrong.
County officials and Major League Cricket leaders started exclusively negotiating the lease of 12 acres at the fairgrounds to build and run a stadium for local, national and international play in 2022. The two parties met regularly for more than two years. But after the national league restructured — and began to grapple with an intensifying, internal power struggle — county leaders said stadium planning talks shifted to the local team, the San Francisco Unicorns, which plays at the Oakland Coliseum.
County leaders said they terminated the latest round of negotiations, which started in 2024, after the Unicorns couldn’t meet a deadline for a viable proposal. Team representatives, who asked for anonymity to speak freely, argue the issue went deeper than deadlines.
Team sources told San José Spotlight the potential cost of a stadium became unrealistic for them, and there was a lack of understanding about the county’s long-term plans for the fairgrounds. At the time of negotiations, county and San Jose leaders were touting simultaneous agreements with San Jose State University for a track and field facility at the site, as well as the San Jose Earthquakes for a new sports complex.
County leaders hit reset on the broader fairgrounds vision in October, moving forward with a new master planning process for the 165-acre public property.
“We look forward to having the right structure in place in order to achieve success and unlock the extraordinary potential of the fairgrounds for the benefit of the surrounding neighborhood and entire Santa Clara County community,” County Executive James Williams told San José Spotlight.
Some planning difficulties stem from what officials have described as a critical disconnect between the county — which owns the property — and an independent management board established for separation from day-to-day management duties. Now they’re looking to take over that board and consolidate control.
Officials have said they’re concerned about the fairgrounds board locking the property into agreements that hamper the county’s ability to plan the land’s long-term future as an entertainment and community gathering space. Another issue is a lack of county oversight over the property in general.
In 2024, county officials suggested replacing the existing five-member fairgrounds board with a three-member board composed of two county employees and a third independent director nominated by county administration. Officials have publicly indicated plans to revisit that option this month.
The Santa Clara County Fairgrounds has been underutilized for years, as county officials have attempted to revitalize it through different initiatives. In 2019, the Board of Supervisors voted to explore and evaluate a list of options — including the cricket field, a county park, hotel and baseball stadium, among others — to activate the property as a more meaningful community space. But a group of homeless advocates around that time began pushing for housing, safe parking, encampments and services for unhoused residents at the fairgrounds. Some voiced disappointment in the county’s sports complex priorities.
A Unicorns representative said Santa Clara County is still on the table — and still ideal — but is now just one of several possible locations in the Bay Area.
The team representative said the Unicorns have hired a chief real estate officer with local expertise on the fairgrounds, but that officer is openly talking to different cities and counties across the Bay Area. The representative said the team is in a better position to have conversations if the county’s long-term plans for the fairgrounds are clear.
The Earthquakes deal also went up in smoke in 2024, after county supervisors laughed off a team proposal they slammed as a “sweetheart deal” that would low-ball taxpayers on community benefits.
District 2 Supervisor Betty Duong, who represents where the fairgrounds is located, places emphasis on the idea the fairgrounds should serve and benefit the county’s 2 million residents.
“We are exploring options for the best possible future for the site,” Duong told San José Spotlight. “One that includes economic development, enhances public safety and improves the quality of life for all residents, particularly in the surrounding neighborhoods.”
District 5 Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga largely echoed the same vision.
“My interest is in maximizing the use of the 150 acres at the county fairgrounds as an asset for the community, but also for opportunities to generate revenue,” Abe-Koga told San José Spotlight. “We certainly want to consider what is going to benefit the surrounding neighborhoods and make sure it will fit in, but we have to be mindful of the county’s precarious financial situation and look at revenue generating opportunities.”
Abe-Koga said the county should also look at redevelopment opportunities.
“I am open to considering all options as we decide what is best and highest use,” she said.
Contact Brandon Pho at [email protected] or @brandonphooo on X.