by Charlie O Mallonee and Jerry Feitelberg (Sportstalk Radio staff reporters)

animated design of Warriors arena Chase Center at Mission Bay by the Golden State Warriors

SAN FRANCISCO–The Golden State Warriors have big dreams of grandeur that they will get their new arena built at Mission Bay in the City located by UCSF Hospital. The Warriors who play the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals on Thursday for Game Six at Quicken Loans Arena could be celebrating their second straight season championship if they win, ironically the Warriors legal staff will be in San Francisco Superior Court on Friday the very next day.

The Warriors spokesman PJ Johnston is confident that Golden State will prevail and that team lawyers will be able to convince the court that they can build the new arena in spite of what arena opponents Mission Bay Alliance have presented to the court environmental regulations regarding parking, noise, traffic, possible endangered species in and around Mission Bay. The other argument that could be of issue is how emergency vehicles are going to have access to UCSF on event days at the Mission Bay arena and that could be compounded if the San Francisco Giants are hosting a ball game at neighboring AT&T Park on the same night.

“The Warriors expect to be every bit as successful in a court of law as they have been on the basketball court” Johnston told the San Francisco Chronicle this week. An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) presentation from the Alliance could have the court ask the Warriors to do some redesigns to their project which could impact their blue print design for their 18,000 seat arena or even real concerns expressed by the surrounding neighborhoods being traffic being the top issue could be considered by the court that could very well hold up any ground breaking. The Warriors are hoping to go ahead with the project as early as the end of this year.

A poll taken by Mission Bay Alliance shows that 60 percent of San Francisco residents are against a new arena at Mission Bay. Johnston regardless of the poll or what Mission Bay Alliance is prepared to present in court on Friday says the Warriors feel good about getting approval to move ahead with construction at Mission Bay, “we believe we have a very strong case and hope the courts see the merits of the argument.”

Mission Bay Alliance says that the Warriors flunked the EIR in traffic and congestion test, UCSF medical professionals who work the front lines at the hospital are concerned about traffic conditions for not only emergency vehicles but access to the hospital, medical personal who need access to the hospital to relieve staff who worked all day and access patients. The EIR is a 1,000 page report that demonstrates access to the hospital street intersections would be clogged on game days and how slow the pace of traffic would be at the new Warriors arena.

Mission Bay Alliance spokesman Sam Singer  says that they have facts and data on their side going into court on Friday, “we believe we have a very strong case, and hope the courts see the merits of our argument” said Singer. The EIR study also includes all considerations of mass transit and traffic situations and still results show traffic and clogged parking congestion issues. The Alliance also said that the Warriors plans have skirted city rules and state environmental regulations.

The Warriors argue that they have the political and regulatory votes to get an arena approved by the court and that they can commence construction on Mission Bay. The Warriors have hired contractor Gensler architects to work on the arena interior. Johnston said on the Warriors chances in court “we believe we have a very strong case, and hope the courts see the merits of the argument” and “we are feeling very good going into court.”

Charlie O Mallonee covers the NBA and the Sacramento Kings and Jerry Feitelberg covered Warriors basketball during the regular season  for http://www.sportsradioservice.com