On Tuesday, the Warriors, with Ed Lee, Gavin Newsom, coach Mark Jackson, owners Joe Lacob and Guber, executive board member Jerry West, and TV sports guy Ahmad Rashad on hand, announced plans to build a new arena, privately funded, at Piers 30-32 in San Francisco. The hoped-for opening date: 2017. The team’s lease at its current home, Oracle Arena in Oakland, runs through the 2016-17 season. Here’s the site of the planned stadium:
More coverage from Heather Knight in the Chron and Mark Purdy in the Mercury News. The Bay Area News Group is hosting a live chat on the news at 12:30 p.m. And Ray Ratto of CSN Bay Area attempts to answer the question: End of pro sports in Oakland?
Speaking of which, here’s Oakland’s somewhat sad statement on Monday:
We are still in direct dialogue with the Warriors about the opportunity to build a new arena. We have always been aware that they are exploring all their options, including a San Francisco site. We continue to believe that Coliseum City offers the best new home to the Warriors, Oakland A’s and Oakland Raiders.
Update 12:40 p.m. And this today from a City of Oakland statement:
City of Oakland Remains Bullish about Coliseum City
City of Oakland officials this morning said that although they are disappointed that the Warriors are pursuing a new venue in San Francisco, they remain bullish about the significant and transformative impact of the Coliseum City project on the City’s future.
The Coliseum City project area encompasses 1,000 acres of central Bay Area real estate that will integrate a world-class sports and entertainment district. It will be home to the most significant, comprehensively planned science and technology district planned in California since Mission Bay. It will become a major transit-served housing, hotel and waterfront development that will transform the Central Bay Area.
“Coliseum City is a long-term development project that was never dependent on any one tenant,” said Mayor Jean Quan. “It was always a larger project than just one sports team. This is the largest transit-oriented development project in the state, with entertainment, sports, retail, office, hotels and a convention center, and is one of the centerpieces of Oakland’s economic renaissance.”
Then there’s this from Matthai Kuruvila of the Chron:
Of course, we still have to come up with #GSW stadium name. #PavilionOnPiers #StadiumOnStilts #FloatingFieldhouse #SwimGym
— matthai kuruvila (@matthai) May 22, 2012