Phil Matier: Warriors Signal Renewed Interest In Arena Next To AT&T Park
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — As the Golden State Warriors fight an uphill battle to build a basketball arena on San Francisco's waterfront, the possibility of teaming up with the Giants to develop a project in Parking Lot A—near McCovey Cove—has been gaining momentum.
There were some talks earlier when the Warriors first announced their plans to move back to San Francisco, but those fell apart and everyone went their separate ways.
Phil Matier: A Potential Partnership Between the Giants And Warriors
The Warriors pressed on with their plans to build a premiere venue at Piers 30 and 32, which sits at base of the Bay Bridge, but then drove straight into a wall of opposition.
People were opposed to the heights along the waterfront as well as the potential traffic congestion. The cost of construction also seems to steadily rising; there is already talk about a one-year delay.
So yes, there are talks going on behind the scenes about the two franchises partnering to build an arena near AT&T Park that would be less glamorous than their original plan, but may be more practical.
The location is not as close to BART as the Pier 30-32 location, but there is still a lot of mass transit nearby and AT&T Park has already proved that, if you build it there, people will come.
The Warriors have to ask themselves if their original idea will be realized. After all, their initial estimates at Piers 30-32 have already gone from $90 million to $180 million.
Meanwhile, initiatives are headed to the ballot requiring voter approval on the project and there are still those environmental and regional bay authorities that still have to have their say.
So if part of the plan already looks like it's a dead deal, it would be smart to have an alternative plan.
Oakland, of course, is hoping that all of it falls apart so the Warriors will stay.
