The City and the Golden State Warriors are partnering on a proposal to develop and build a premiere sports and entertainment arena venue o n the waterfront in San Francisco in time for the 2017-2018 NBA season. The proposed project facility is located at Piers 30-32 on San Francisco Bay, south of the Bay Bridge, between the Ferry Building and AT&T Park.
The City in partnership with the team is proposing to repair and seismically upgrade 13- acres of deteriorating piers and develop Seawall Lot 330, adjacent to Piers 30-32, to build a multi-purpose venue with private funds. The goal of the proposed project is to substantially improve open space for public access; while also providing enhanced amenities and maritime facilities for the San Francisco Bay.
The new facility would host the Bay Area’s NBA basketball team, as well as provide an iconic new venue for top-tier concerts, cultural events and conventions, and other prominent events that the City current does not have venues for. It would be set amongst the beautiful new waterfront and located in an incredibly transit- and pedestrian-rich location, with a Muni Metro stop at its doorstep, and only a few blocks from Embarcadero Station and the new Transbay Transit Center.
Piers 30-32 Project Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. What is the Piers 30-32 Project?
A. The project is a partnership with the Golden State Warriors to build a state of the art waterfront pavilion facility on Piers 30-32 to serve as the team’s official home in addition to providing a spectacular new venue for top-tier concerts, cultural events and conventions—for enjoyment by the entire Bay Area community. The project also includes revitalized improvements to Seawall Lot 330; adjacent to Piers 30-32.
Q. Where is Piers 30-32?
A. Piers 30-32 are located south of the Bay Bridge along the Embarcadero waterfront, near Bryant Street.
Q. Why is Piers 30-32 an optimal location to build a state of the art sports and entertainment facility?
A. Piers 30-32 is centrally located to the Bay Area’s regional and local transportation system and is less than a mile walking distance to Embarcadero BART station—making this an optimal and accessible location to build a waterfront pavilion that can provide sports and entertainment for the public’s enjoyment. The location also provides great opportunities for recreation and maritime uses; allowing the public to enjoy the amenities of open space.
Q. What is the size of Piers 30-32 and Seawall Lot 330?
A. Piers 30-32 is 13 acres and Seawall Lot is 2.3 acres of underutilized space.
Q. How much is it going to cost?
A. This venue will be privately financed by the Golden State Warriors, without relying on the city’s general fund or any new taxes. The exact cost of the facility is not yet known, but the Warriors are committed not only to building a world-class venue, but to covering the upfront costs of fixing the crumbling pier the city currently has no means to pay for.
Q. How would this project benefit San Francisco?
A. The new waterfront pavilion would fill a void in San Francisco’s cultural scene, providing a waterfront pavilion that can accommodate top-name musical acts, conventions, major cultural events and other sporting events. Furthermore, the project would create jobs and generate millions in revenue for businesses and enhance the City’s economic vitality.
Lastly, the project will provide people seeking to look at the Bay Bridge and Bay itself new public access areas of Piers 30-32 which will highlight not only the bridge but also give the public new elevated vistas where they will actually be able to look over many of the existing buildings along other piers to the north (piers 28 and 26 respectively) and to the south (pier 38).
Public access will exist all along the edge of the piers as well, so one can walk their dog, ride their bike or stroll their child out along the edge of the pier and take in the magical unobstructed view. The design concept echoes the sentiment of San Franciscans that we should be encouraging the use of the waterfront for walking, bicycling and for residents and tourist alike to feel comfortable gazing out at the bay enjoying the view. The design inside of the arena, much like at AT&T Park, does incorporate the unique bay location and will have expansive floor to ceiling windows for spectators to look out onto the bay and even at a certain vantage point, while spectators are seated, they will be able to see the bay bridge.
Q. Who has been selected as the architects for the proposed project?
A. The Golden State Warriors have selected Snohetta and AECOM as the design team and more recently hired Manica Architecture. The goal of the team is to design a state of the art waterfront pavilion that befits the importance of the site, makes efficient use of public transportation and provides a unique state of the art venue that all San Franciscans can be proud of.
Q. When would construction begin and how long will construction last?
A. If the project gets approved, the construction is slated to begin in June of 2016 and last approximately 27 months, with the new facility opening in time for the 2019-19 NBA Basketball season.
Q. What considerations are being completed to alleviate traffic along the Embarcadero?
A. The SF Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) is conducting a comprehensive Transportation Assessment along the waterfront which would look at all modes of transportation from Green Street to 16th in order to study what is happening over the next five, 10 and 20 years for transit, pedestrians, parking, autos, and bicycles in addition to the corridor’s current conditions. SF Waterfront Transportation Assessment
Q. What would be the capacity of the complex?
A. The proposed facility is being designed to accommodate 17,500 people.
Q. Will the arena construction affect the America’s Cup site?
A. The Warriors would open the new facility in 2018. Since the U.S. won the 34th America's Cup, AC35 may return to San Francisco. If that is the case, the project team will work closely with the event organizers to ensure ample coordination so that every effort is made to accommodate the future America’s Cup events.
To learn more about participating in upcoming events, please visit the 2017 Golden
State Warriors website: http://www.nba.com/warriors/sf
