The Warriors "could jump another regulatory hurdle" today for a proposed arena in S.F., as the city's Board of Supervisors will vote "on the certification of the Warriors’ environmental-impact report -- findings appealed by" opposition group the Mission Bay Alliance, according to Rusty Simmons of the S.F. CHRONICLE. If approved, the Warriors "could break ground sometime next year and be on track" for an '18 opening. Of course, the Warriors’ plan "still might have to deal with possible lawsuits and a permitting process that has plenty of variables" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 12/8). In S.F., C.W. Nevius writes it is "time for opponents of the proposed Warriors arena to show up." Today's Board of Supervisors meeting "will be instructional." The Mission Bay Alliance "insists that opponents of the arena are ... invisible but real." Nevius: "Frankly, we haven’t seen them." Warriors spokesperson P.J. Johnson said, “It appears they have a helluva lot more lawyers and political operatives than actual supporters. They still have not turned out the bodies.” Nevius: "If the Mission Bay Alliance has the support, let’s see it" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 12/8).
BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS: In S.F., Rusty Simmons notes Barclays Center and Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis are the "primary inspirations" for the Warriors' proposed arena. Warriors President & COO Rick Welts: “We’ve looked at those two, and Madison Square Garden, for a lot of reasons. ... The Nets have been amazing, Indiana has been amazing, and the Garden has been amazing in terms of, not only all of the things that worked, but also all of the things that didn’t work, and you can avoid replicating.” Welts said of Barclays Center, "They launched the building with a tremendous slate of events their first year, which really put them on the map. I think we’re very focused on how they accomplished that, making sure that as we start to program the first year at the arena, and that we use that as an inspiration for us -- that we try to match or surpass what they were able to do in Brooklyn.” He added of Bankers Life Fieldhouse, "I don’t think there’s ever been an arena construction that so reflected the community in which is resides. I think it’s a perfect expression of the history of the game in Indiana." Welts: “It’s an inspiration, knowing you can do something unique and that’s reflective of the city in which you live. I think we’re trying to follow that" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 12/8).
