The Golden State Warriors, currently the team with the best record in the National Basketball Association, looks like it could finally get a new arena. And according the latest proposal being floated, that arena on 12 acres would be a centerpiece for the redevelopment of the south half of San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that David Manica of Kansas City-based Manica Architecture, the lead architect on this project, earlier this month presented to the Mission Bay Citizens Advisory Committee what he admits is an incomplete design for what’s being called an “event center.”
His version—which when it was first revealed last September drew jibes that compared the arena’s shape to a toilet—is more conventional than what had been proposed for Piers 30 and 32 by the Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta, whose cofounder Craig Dykers is identified the project’s senior design advisor.
Manica’s concept is circular and mostly flat. It would seat 18,000 people, and include a 24,000-sf public plaza on its southeast side and a 35,000-sf plaza on the Third Avenue side. The east edge of the site would be set up to accommodate food concessionaires and a smaller arena entrance.
This arena had been a political football for at least two years, but opposition appears to have evaporated for a plan that would make the arena a focal point of this community’s revitalization, the Chronicle reports.
Flanking its Third Street plaza would nearly 500,000 sf of office space. The plan also calls for nearly 100,000 sf of retail. “The arena project can shake things up—as a swirling silver counterpart to a static scene, and as an attraction that puts people on the streets during both day and night,” writes John King, the Chronicle’s urban design critic. “The segregation of Mission Bay into two halves, one residential and one commercial, starts to break down. There also will be a renewed emphasis on Third Street, which too much of Mission Bay treats as a back alley despite the presence of the light-rail line.”
“This should really enliven the area, and bring people from across the city and region,” adds Tiffany Bohee, executive director of the city’s Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure.
In addition to the arena plan, there are several housing projects under construction or just opened in Mission Bay. The University of California-San Francisco’s Mission Bay hospital complex opens its first phase in February.
Warriors’ management hopes to receive approvals by next fall, with construction to be complete in time for the 2018-19 basketball season.
Read more about the project at NBA.com and San Francisco Chronicle.
Related Stories
Coronavirus | Aug 25, 2020
Video: 5 building sectors to watch amid COVID-19
RCLCO's Brad Hunter reveals the winners and non-winners of the U.S. real estate market during the coronavirus pandemic.
Architects | Aug 19, 2020
Japan’s Tokyo Toilet project looks to improve the perception of public restrooms
17 toilets throughout Shibuya will be redesigned as part of the project.
Architects | Aug 5, 2020
Final report: BD+C's 2020 Color Trends Report
This special research report from the editors of BD+C explores the leading trends and drivers related to the use of color on commercial, institutional, and multifamily building projects.
University Buildings | Aug 2, 2020
R&D hubs, modular-built hotels, and an award-winning student center on the August 6 “The Weekly”
R&D hubs, modular-built hotels, and an award-winning student center on the August 6 “The Weekly”
University Buildings | Jul 24, 2020
A hybrid learning approach could redefine higher education
Universities reassess current assets to determine growth strategies.
Coronavirus | Jun 19, 2020
Experts address COVID-19's impact on nursing homes and schools on The Weekly
The June 18 episode of BD+C's "The Weekly" is available for viewing on demand.
Coronavirus | Jun 12, 2020
BD+C launches 'The Weekly,' a streaming program for the design and construction industry
The first episode, now available on demand, features experts from Robins & Morton, Gensler, and FMI on the current state of the AEC market.
Architects | Jun 8, 2020
Two Frank Lloyd Wright sites set to reopen for tours with enhanced health and safety protocols
The sites will reopen on Thursday, June 11.
Architects | May 28, 2020
Ghafari joins forces with Eview 360
Global architecture + engineering firm announces investment in experiential design agency.
Coronavirus | May 26, 2020
9 tips for mastering virtual public meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic
Mike Aziz, AIA, presents 9 tips for mastering virtual public meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic.