As proposed, Phil Ting’s Assembly Bill 1273 would revise the existing authorization to develop Pier 30-32 for use as a cruise ship terminal and authorize the Port to approve its development as a multipurpose venue (i.e., the proposed Warriors Arena) instead.
The bill which has already been passed by the Assembly’s Natural Resources, Local Government, and Appropriations committees would effectively bypass the Bay Conservation and Development Commission with respect to oversight of the development of the pier for an arena. As such, the commission’s staff is opposed to the bill’s passage.
While the commission was slated to vote on its staff’s recommendation to formally oppose Ting’s bill, and the commission’s meeting wasn’t going too well for the Warriors, following a full-court press from the Mayor and local labor leaders, “the commission agreed to simply send a letter to legislators expressing their concerns about the attempted end run – and give the Warriors another month to try to work out their differences over the arena project with the commission’s staff.”
∙ Pier 30-32 Revitalization Act Aims To Clear The Way For The Warriors [SocketSite]
∙ Redesigned Warriors Arena Unveiled: A Peek Inside And Out [SocketSite]
Larry Stokus’s NIMBY watchdogs are all over this.
They’re trying to join forces with the No Wall people for the ballot prop in exchange for their support when it comes time for the arena
Of course, Phil Ting’s altruism for the Warriors will be reciprocal with a large “donation” to his re-election campaign by the Warriors.
The Bay Conservation and Development Commission was established to evaluate what is best for San Francisco Bay, not a bought and paid Legislature agenda.
Amazing how a billion dollars can get things done with ease.
Unless another ballot measure pushes the arena to an alternate location.
Built the arena. No bureaucratic BS from the Bay Conservation and Development Commission needed or appreciated.
To @bob’s point about the “no wall” folks, here’s some more fuel for the fire; Im assuming this project is squarely in their sights. I was looking at some SWL330 renderings from Shohetta, AECOM, and BAR Architects.
As for heights, we know there’s lots of talk about the height of the arena in relation to its surroundings. On the rendering I saw, I noted a few things:
1) The height of the arena is stated at 125 feet
2) The height of the twin tower hotel roof line is 105 feet and 121 feet to the top of the mechanical enclosure
3) The height of the 17 story condo tower roof line is 175 feet and 191 feet to the top of the mechanical enclosure
In regards in approximation to the Embarcadero, from which I think lots of people use as their point of reference to say the arena is too tall, the SWL330 plan is for three buildings that are at least of equivalent height to the arena, or roughly 10% taller and all are much closer to the Embarcadero; all three towers are right on it.
Depending on how you look at it, the height (i.e. “wall”) of the arena wouldn’t necessarily be the issue, it would be the flip side of the coin…
A lot of people ( myself included ) just don’t want another sports arena in the city. The building itself is beautiful. If it was something else, I would love it right where it is.
The problem for me are sports fans and their often imbecilic, destructive behavior to the city, buses, etc.
I don’t care about walls, I care about morons.
There is no sports arena on San Francisco, Mike.
conceptual art:
art in which the idea behind a particular work, and the means of producing it, are more important than the finished work.
Somebody…anybody…have you seen the plans?
conceptual art:
art in which emphasis is placed on the means and processes of producing art objects rather than on the objects themselves and in which the various tools and techniques, as photographs, photocopies, video records, and the construction of environments and earthworks, are used to convey the message to the spectator.
Somebody…anybody…have you seen the plans? Where are the plans?
Read the BCDC staff analysis, what they are saying is there is no there there.
Somebody….please….find the plans….some plans please.
Analysis:
The process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts to gain a better understanding of it.
@Mike – Buses get trashed only if teams with championships. The Warriors don’t win championships. Therefore the point is moot. Let’s build this beauty and bring what is likely to be the most iconic sports arena in the COUNTRY to our city, for pete’s sake.
Have you ever considered that the overwhelming majority of SF residents ARE sports fans, or is this a “I don’t like sports, and thus my opinion trumps all” sort of thing?
The traffic sucking on one major street for a couple hours on game nights is the only valid reason I’ve heard not to build this, and ultimately having a) a major sports team become the third San Francisco specific team (because let’s be honest, once this is built this goes from an Oakland team to an SF team in the public’s eye), b) a gorgeous and iconic structure built on what is now a disgusting, rotting pier, c) throw in beautiful public green space, and d) manage to preserve the favorite neighborhood burger haunt out of respect, sort of trumps the traffic argument in my opinion. We aren’t talking about demolishing the Conservatory of Flowers or throwing this in the middle of North Beach, this would go on the outskirts of a neighborhood known for warehouses in the first place, on a dangerous eyesore of a neglected pier.
It’s really too bad the early talks of building an arena in concert with the SF Giants on their parking lots south of ATT Park and developing Pier 48 and 50 as part of a large sports entertainment complex fell apart. Either the Giants organization or the Warriors guys got too greedy for anything collaborative to go forward. (Four Dogs and A Bone). Instead, the Warriors are insisting on putting a beautiful arena in an inaccessible spot and the Giants are proposing a really boring extension of Mission Bay (already boring) north onto their lots. City of SF loses in both respects.
The Mayor should be trying to get the Giants and Warriors to come up with something better and more imaginative that what is being offered now by both parties. Mayor Lee: Don’t do a Newsom and lose a team to the peninsula again
” . . . a beautiful arena in an inaccessible spot . . . ”
This “inaccessible spot,” is: 5 blocks from the Embarcadero BART Station and the Ferry Building. The former provides access for much of the East Bay and as far south as Millbrae. The latter provides access via ferries for much of Marin (Sausalito, Tiburon, and Larkspur,) as well as far north as Vallejo and east to Alameda. The Caltrain station is also less than a mile away which provides access to the peninsula and South Bay. The muni T and N lines (possibly extension of the F?) all lead right up to site for those who don’t enjoy walking (or taking a pedi cab) along the Embarcadero. Futures include additional water taxi service lines and the new Transbay Terminal at Mission and Fremont.
As someone who lives 5 minutes from the proposed site, I see thousands of Giants fans every season take advantage of all the above to take in a baseball game at a ballpark that is a short walk away from the piers on which the arena will sit (not to mention the millions of people who visit the Ferry Building/Pier 39 every year). Inaccessible? Please.
Why would the Giants and the Warriors both getting prime building spots mean Ed Lee would lose either team? You know how Ed Lee will lose major sports teams? If this city does not wake up and fight every semi-large scale project for petty reasons.
This city desperately needs to grow. Residentially, transport, culturally. SOMA and the Embarcadero are disgustingly underutilized, and are the only spots in the city with central and large building spots. I hate seeing the city piss away it’s last opportunity to expand the city to meet the absurd demand.
AT&T Park is already widely regarded as one of the three best parks in baseball, currently. Add this gorgeous gem just minutes away and you have an absolutely legendary stretch of sports facilities. Look how LA Live revitalized Downtown LA, having two parks (one beautiful, and one that would be nothing short of iconic should it be build) is such an absolute win for this city. Can we stop fighting progress and let this city grow??
Giants game let out at 4:00 pm today. Absolute gridlock for over 2 1/2 hours on every single street in south beach…. And still no relief in site. Hey, Mayor Lee ….. Lets build a Warriors entertainment complex down the street on the water!
Time it, did ya?
Folks, I guess I need to be more precise in what i post, kinda have trigger fingers when it comes to typing, sorry!
So this is what I really meant to suggest in my original post:
I was really excited when the first news was out about a new sports/entertainment complex was proposed by the Giants in their parking lots south of the ballpark. An arena, restaurants, bars, little league park and renovation of pier 48 into a exhibition hall. Sounded brialliant and too good to be true!
Then came the news the Warriors wanted to come across the bay to SF and were exploring the possibility of working with the Giants on their proposed sports/entertainment complex, Fantastic!
Then came the news the Warriors walked away from joint development with the Giants and moved up the Embarcadero to Pier 30-32…Sad! And since then the Giants have proposed yet another mediocre office/condo/retail complex that would merely extend the already boring Mission Bay neighborhood north.
I only wish somehow the original partnership between the Giants and Warriors could be worked out and they build that beautiful arena perhaps down on pier 50 along with a great sports entertainment complex, it could be a great complex for all of us.
Disclosure: I really hope for an arena in SF, not because I am a basketball fan, but because I am so tired of having to consider going to Oakland or San Jose to see some of the blockbuster concerts that go to those cities arenas.
I also see years of delay coming from the typical nimby forces lining up against the arena on Pier 30-32, it is just barely starting.
Hope that clarifies my thoughts, just want something fantastic rather than mundane developments compromised by the nimbys. My reference to Ed Lee losing a team like Grumsome was perhaps out of place, just wanted to goad the Mayor into trying to take the lead and get the Warriors and Giants organizations to come back together and plan a really great sports/entertainment complex for the city. All the money is already here, just need the vision to create something great.
that’s all! (hope I didn’t offend anyone, some of the posts on this site seem to get confrontational)