Dive Brief:
- The First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco ruled Tuesday in favor of the Golden State Warriors' plans to build a $1 billion NBA arena in the city's Mission Bay neighborhood.
- The court denied the Mission Bay Alliance's legal challenge against the project, as it said the team had conducted a proper environmental study of the arena's impact.
- Construction on the venue is now set to move forward. The Mission Bay Alliance still has the option to appeal the case to the state Supreme Court.
Dive Insight:
This decision follows another ruling in the team's favor earlier this year, when a San Francisco Superior Court judge decided there was no need for additional environmental reviews for the project.
The Mission Bay Alliance claims that the proposed 18,064-seat arena — which will be located across the street from University of California, San Francisco women’s, children’s and cancer hospitals — does not adequately address traffic, air quality or noise concerns.
The Warriors announced earlier this year that the lawsuits forced the team to delay the opening of the planned arena by one year. Construction, which is expected to last two years, is now estimated to be complete in time for the 2019 NBA season.
Plans for the development include two office towers and a large plaza lined with shops and restaurants. In October, the Warriors selected the joint venture of Clark Construction and Mortenson to build the arena. Both companies have extensive experience tackling major league sports venues.
