The much anticipated Chase Arena to host the Golden State Warriors saw its first step in construction during the groundbreaking ceremony yesterday in Mission Bay. This was a special occasion considering the NBA hasn’t really been involved in San Francisco, and it was a grand affair. Warriors coach Steve Kerr, Warriors forward Kevin Durant, and mayor Ed Lee were amongst the few to turn over the first piles of dirt to jump start construction. In attendance were lieutenant governor Gavin Newsom, congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, and former mayor Willie Brown.
The event’s entertainment included acrobatic performers dressed up as construction workers, the Glide Memorial church choir, construction cranes pouring blue and gold basketballs onto the stage, and good old dirt turned over by shiny shovels. Currently, the Warriors are hosted in Oakland at the Oracle Arena, next to the Oakland A’s Stadium. When the Chase Arena is completed in 2019, it will be the second sports stadium in Mission Bay, just a stone’s throw away from the San Francisco Giant’s Ball Park when completed.</p.
Watch the ceremony recap here:
Mission Bay is San Francisco’s newest neighborhood. UCSF is building their state-of-the-art research campus nearby and several low-rise condo complexes have already been built. In this neighborhood, check out Arden, Madrone, The Beacon, and Radiance for places to live. Being by the waterfront, restoration of natural habitats and development of open space are slowly taking shape in a really cool industrial setting. Ride your bike along the Mission Creek, which has been restored with native plants. Play beach volleyball underneath the freeway overpasses. Read more about Mission Creek Park here. Imagine how it would be to live here, catch a Giants game and also be able to attend a Golden State Warriors game at the new Chase Arena, right from your front door! Live it up in Mission Bay!
