It is "much too early to say whether the Warriors arena project should fill a 13-acre pier just south of the Bay Bridge," but the architects "have come up with an approach that redefines what the Embarcadero could be," according to a front-page piece by Cote & King of the S.F. CHRONICLE. The idea is to "sculpt Piers 30-32 as a multitiered environment focused on the Bay Bridge, with the arena as an imposing but not overwhelming presence on the east." This "inventive, almost geological approach is a hallmark of the work of Snøhetta, the design architect for the $1 billion complex." Placing the 17,500-seat arena in the southeast corner means "it won't block the vistas from any nearby streets." It also would not "seem to scrape the bottom of the Bay Bridge." Setting aside the "legitimate issues of traffic and crowds, we need to see a much more detailed architecture." The idea may be to "wrap the arena in glass, but it will still be the largest structure on any pier along the bay." The ascending plazas "sound intriguing," and the "reality could have the feel of a theme park" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 10/16). CSNBAYAREA.com's Andy Dolich noted the Warriors have "targeted the 2017-18 NBA season as the grand opening of their arena to be built on the San Francisco Embarcadero at Piers 30-32." The cost of "getting the pier infrastructure ready to hold the arena could be as high as $150 million." Based on projections, "the cost of the arena will be in the neighborhood of $600 million or more if the neighborhood decides they want it." Warriors co-Owner Peter Guber said, "We can turn this dream into a goal by giving it urgency. We will play here in 2017. Take that as a promise that we will fulfill. This will be a world-class entertainment venue. We're all-in." The proposed Warriors arena "plays perfectly to the fact that Bay Area sports fans are consumers of 'new'" (CSNBAYAREA.com, 10/15).
