The Univ. of California-S.F. yesterday "officially backed" the Warriors' proposed Mission Bay arena "after reaching a deal with the city and the basketball franchise about managing traffic," according to J.K. Dineen of the S.F. CHRONICLE. The deal calls for a $10M Mission Bay Transportation Improvement Fund, "which will be dedicated to controlling the flow of traffic in the neighborhood, particularly during evening arena events." The fund, "which must be approved by the Board of Supervisors, will be fed solely by new revenue" from the Warriors' 18,000-seat, $1B arena. In addition, "should traffic jams around the hospital become a problem once the arena opens, the Warriors have agreed to hold no more than 12 events a year that coincide with Giants home games at nearby AT&T Park." This is the "first time an NBA franchise has agreed to such a cap." The announcement "follows months of negotiations among the Warriors, UCSF and Mayor Ed Lee’s administration, most of which focused on ensuring that traffic generated by arena would not impede the ability of patients and hospital employees to get to the new UCSF Medical Center" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 10/7).
LEE'S WAY: In S.F., Ron Leuty wrote the endorsement "is a big win for the Warriors and Lee, who sees the return of the Warriors to San Francisco after more than 40 years in Oakland as a signature project." It "also undercuts the ability of the opposing Mission Bay Alliance to use UCSF's previously lukewarm reception to the Warriors' plans as a tool to drum up opposition." Still, the alliance "has a lineup that includes the union that represents nurses that work at UCSF hospitals in Mission Bay" and a "number of prominent UCSF scientists." A Mission Bay Alliance spokesperson yesterday said that the group "is prepared to step in with legal challenges to a key environmental impact report if city commissions and the Board of Supervisors approve the development, which includes two office towers and a Union Square-sized plaza lined with restaurants and shops" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 10/6).
READY TO DEFEND: In S.F., Rusty Simmons reports the Chamber of Commerce yesterday hosted its annual “Warriors Tip-Off Luncheon," which included "panel discussions" with Warriors co-Owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber and with Warriors G Stephen Curry, F Draymond Green and G Klay Thompson and a speech from Lee. The "first laughs of the afternoon" came while S.F. Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Bob Linscheid was at the podium. He asked, "What could be better than the Warriors winning a championship?" Warriors President & COO Rick Welts, unrehearsed from a nearby table, yelled, "Two championships." Warriors TV play-by-play man Bob Fitzgerald "interviewed Lacob and Guber, asking them what their lives have been like since bringing the Bay Area its first NBA title in 40 years." Guber said, "Everywhere you go, it’s like a Papal visit" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 10/7).
