Tag: Embarcadero

Agnos ramps up anti SF arena support with grass roots campaign

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by Ken Gimblin

SAN FRANCISCO–Former San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos who said that the Golden State Warriors new arena proposal for downtown San Francisco at piers 30-32 would be a real estate money grab and he is correct and in this world you really can’t criticize people for wanting to make money and you look at all the sports teams today and their in business to make money and I use sports teams as an example because most people root for a team passionately not realizing it’s a business.

So of course they want to make money like Warriors owners Joe Lacob and Peter Gruber, the question would be how much is the public going to have to contribute to make that money, that’s the big argument. They want to put that arena in that area that’s fine they want to foot the cost and they want tax payers to come in and supplement that. Agnos says that and also building on piers 30-32 is going to be a problem in terms of aesthetics and the environment, “they want the prettiest place in the city, I can’t blame them. But it’s the wrong site for a good team” said Agnos.

You can’t blame the Warriors for wanting that location and that’s a magnificent view looking onto the Bay and the bridge which the plan is to build a large window looking out onto the bay where basketball fans can see that wonderful view during the game. The development would come with two luxury hotel towers at least ten stories high, a 16 story luxury condominium complex across the Embarcadero, plus retail stores and a 500 space garage.

Agnos 70 who is campaigning to community groups at least two to three times a week is catching the attention of neighborhood groups around the city as the Warriors new arena proposal is the hottest San Francisco political issue. Agnos called the Warriors downtown arena the “perfect storm” for gridlock on the Embarcadero and that it’s being proposed by Warriors billionaire owners Lacob and Gruber who Agnos says don’t have the city’s best interest at heart but this is all about profit and affordable housing you can forget that.

“There’s no sense being in second, there’s no sense in doing something unless you’re going to do it right” said Lacob. The Warriors no doubt will be fronting their share of money for the build but there is little doubt that public tax payers funds would go into paying for the Warriors arena. The Sacramento Kings are using public funds for their new downtown arena set to break ground in downtown Sacramento next year the funds are reportedly coming out of the general fund and will be repaid with parking lot receipts and sales tax from tickets sold at Kings home games.

Warriors spokesman Nathan Ballard who is strategizing the project on the political side said “Art Agnos is a very smart guy and he knows that if the election were held tomorrow the Warriors would win it.” Agnos is running a grass roots campaign ran with a clipboard for notes and promises from the community that oppose the building at the waterfront they would support Agnos in stopping any kind of new development at piers 30-32. The proof is in the pudding after San Francisco propositions B and C lost in the October 2013 election last month to develop condominiums at the piers and the election wasn’t even close.

The San Francisco business community was out in full force behind the development effort with Mayor Ed Lee, former mayors Gavin Newsom and Willie Brown and the higher ups from the Chamber of Commerce. Although no one from that camp admits it Agnos played a huge part in getting the development proposal to get voted down and much can be said the same for the newest proposals for a new arena coming from the Warriors.

Ken Gimblin is covering the Warriors new arena proposal in San Francisco for Sportstalk Radio

Former S.F. Mayor calls Warriors arena project a boondoggle

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by Ken Gimblin

SAN FRANCISCO–Former San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos makes no bones about it that the motivation behind the Golden State Warriors move to piers 30-32 in the City is all about a real estate grab along the Embarcadero. Agnos said this is not about the Warriors or a sports arena but land development meant to be real estate profit.

Agnos who this month campaigned against the 8 Washington a waterfront condo project that would have been set for development near piers 30-32 and what would have led to the arena development. Agnos said that the city voters saw right through the project idea as a real estate grab and environmental groups were on board with Agnos in the defeat of city propositions B and C.

Former San Francisco supervisor Aaron Peskin stated that with the measures going to defeat any future proposal to build at the waterfront for condos or the new arena for that matter would be a uphill battle. City government played a big role behind the propositions on the ballot possible but Peskin said this last election will slow down the Warriors move to the piers quite considerably, “this is not the end and it feels like a movement” said Peskin.

Agnos pointed out that the propositions lost by wide margins for prop B it lost by 25 points and for prop C it lost by 33 points. Former San Francisco City Attorney Louise Renne said the project was irresponsible and Renne spoke to the no on B and C supporters on election night telling them the fight is not over as the Warriors and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee’s office is gearing up to get the Warriors new arena on the San Francisco ballot calling the San Francisco planning commission who was behind props B and C, “utterly disgraceful” and “get your rest more to come San Francisco, San Francisco this is a victory for you, and to all those developers out there do not mess with our waterfront were not going to stand for it” said Renne.

Warriors Spokeman Nathan Ballard said the height of the new arena was addressed and the arena size adjustments should bring closure to questions with environmentalists and opponents being concerned about any views being blocked, “we’ve slimmed down the arena to make room for enough public open space to fit three Union Squares”. Design 0.3 as the Warriors have named the latest design has slimmed off the sides and the height of the arena.

Critics say despite the third design adjustment by the Warriors the neighborhood and voters won’t support development at the waterfront. Agnos says it’s just a gesture that really has no one fooled and that it still is a real estate grab and that the waterfront and Embarcadero neighborhoods stands together that no one will build and take away the view of the bridge and the bay from the neighborhood, “it sounds like window dressing, the bottom line is this is a mega real estate project.”

Adding to the arena project there is a $1 billion 105 room two hotel building project on the drawing board, a 175 foot condominium tower, 120,000 feet of retail to be built with the new arena at piers 30-32. The site is owned by the city and there is no changes in development other than some trimming of the Warriors new arena in height and circumference. The parking lot is called the Seawall Lot 330 at piers 30-32 nearby Red’s Java House Restaurant.

Ken Gimblin is covering the NBA for Sportstalk Radio

Warriors new arena in S.F. has good chance to get voted down

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by Ken Gimblin

SAN FRANCISCO–After the defeat of San Francisco propositions B and C it was a clear sign to San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee that voters do not want to change to look of the waterfront at the Embarcadero at piers 30-32. Former San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos was an advocate of keeping the waterfront just the way it is with no changes.

Props B and C would open the changes for development building new condos and later a proposition at piers 30-32 and the Embarcadero waterfront that would have lead to a new Warriors arena. Voters on Tuesday resoundingly voted no on the props voting down prop B by 62 percent and voting down prop C by 66.5 percent. It was reported that the defeat of the condos called 8 Washington condos was not necessarily bad news for Lee but it could translate how unpopular the Mayor’s idea for development for the waterfront is.

Agnos had allied groups opposing the measure by the San Francisco Sierra Club, San Francisco Tomorrow and members of San Francisco Waterfront Alliance, they were on hand at the No on Props B and C campaign headquarters saying they were in it to win it opposing the condo development, “voters sent the overwhelming message that they don’t want to destroy 50 years of work on the waterfront, under no circumstances will we accept an arena on the bay” said Agnos.

The Warriors intend to develop for a new proposed arena at the cost of $170 million, the sell was that the condos were going to help for affordable housing with construction costs at the tune of $11 million but the point of voters was either mistrust of the Mayor’s proposals or as Agnos said voters want to keep the waterfront looking just the way it is.

Agnos suggested that development for a new arena may work near Candlestick Point or near the San Francisco Cal Train station at Fourth and Townsend Streets. Neither location would appeal to the Warriors who are dead set on building at piers 30-32, “Art Agnos just won a game of ping pong and now he thinks he’s a Wimbledon champion” said Warriors spokesman Nathan Ballard for the Warriors S.F. arena project in commenting on props B and C going down to defeat.

Lee who attended the San Francisco Bulls home opener at the Cow Palace on Friday night did not comment on the loss of the propositions but it was learned through sources at the Bulls that Lee wants Bulls team president and co-owner Pat Curcio to work with him in campaigning together with the Warriors in the construction of a new arena with the Warriors. If all goes to plan it would give the waterfront arena an NHL or minor league regulation size ice rink and a new basketball arena.

Ken Gimblin covers the NBA for Sportstalk Radio