Mission Bay may become new home to Golden State Warriors

[Evan Goldin]

The Oakland-based Golden State Warriors basketball team's owners announced this morning that they are putting the team up for sale.

It's huge news in the world of basketball, but it also comes with a local twist: Almost all interested buyers are looking to move the team to San Francisco. More specifically, "to a newly built (privately financed) arena in Giants’ parking lot adjacent to AT&T Park," according to the San Jose Mercury News.

That would be huge news for Mission Bay, San Francisco's burgeoning neighborhood that has continued to grow despite the economic downturn.

The location of the arena would likely be Seawall 337, where the Giants and their development partners are planning a large-scale development on the current site of parking lots and piers.

Sources:
CurbedSF | "Warriors could move to San Francisco and get Mission Ba...
SJ Mercury | "Warriors sale process: Ellison one of many interested...

[Evan Goldin]

Just wanted to point everyone to some solidifying details about this idea. The Warriors are locked into their current arena until 2027, but they have the option to abandon the spot in 2017 if they pay a $60 million penalty, leaving probably enough time to move the team elsewhere and construct an arena. Check out SF Chronicle's CW Nevius reporting and opinions on the subject here:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/24/BA0C1CK...

[Tony Kelly]

bias alert - i've been a season ticket holder for the warriors for 20 years (isn't that sad?), but i'm finally cancelling this year. i was on the citizens advisory committee for the Seawall 337 project a year or two back, and it was really obvious then that a) the giants really held all the cards about what that site will eventually be, and b) the giants really do want an arena there, whether it's small or large; it helps the financing of the whole development area, and probably of AT&T Park as well. so i think eventually, that's the future home of the warriors, perhaps with some giants owners as part-owners. there will certainly be an inspiring design, maybe even a surprising one that takes in the water view! BUT there will also certainly be a lack of traffic and transit planning, and that is definitely the thing we have to watch out for as neighbors and attendees. we need much much better transit planning everywhere over here.

[Keith Goldstein]

I voted against AT&T Park,but I was wrong. It is a lovely stadium, (even though I think baseball is a complete bore), and it has enhanced our City enormously. I drive by it all the time and rarely am bothered by traffic. The slight delay is worth it. I would welcome a Warriors stadium at the site.

[Cris Rys]

I can see the romanticism of having an open air baseball stadium being on the water, but a closed arena?

[Marsha Hayes Walker]

I'm all for progress for the Hill neighborhood, but I a strongly against another stadium in the city. Gridlock is guaranteed during games (AT&T was too much), and I have to change my commute from various clients sites as a result. Although AT&T hasn't caused traffic problems on the Hill itself, getting to and from it during games is a big nuisance. No more stadiums. If there were room across town near Pacific Heights, no stadiums would be proposed for over there! They are proposed for this area becasue we are perceived by the rest of the city as industrial, not residential.

[Jason Barton]

A basket ball arena is not as aesthetically pleasing as a baseball park, but the SF native side of me would love to have the team back where it began. The Potrero Hill resident side of me is not sure about it. Traffic would not be fun on game nights. Walking to a game would be great! Not sure how it would look in comparison to the existing development plans for that area??? I guess it is all speculation at this point.