San Francisco Superior Court Judge Garrett Wong on Monday ruled in favor of the Warriors in a lawsuit filed by the Mission Bay Alliance -- the group opposing the proposed $1 billion development, a team source confirmed.
The lawsuit, which played a hand in the team's decision to delay the arena's planned open date one year to the fall of 2019, was filed over the environmental impact process and the judge ruled that the city's EIR (Environmental Impact Report) was sufficient.
The Warriors released the following statement on the court ruling:
“We’re very pleased by the court’s ruling. We engaged in an extensive public planning process and we were approved by every board, agency and regulatory body we went before. Now our project has been upheld by the court. This decision brings us a huge step closer to building a new state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue, which will add needed vitality to the Mission Bay neighborhood and serve the entire Bay Area extremely well. We look forward to breaking ground soon.”
There are still a number of hurdles to clear before the Warriors can break ground in San Francisco, but the environmental lawsuit was one of their most significant blockades.
The Warriors' plan to open the Chase Center for the start of the 2019-20 seasons.
Meanwhile, the Mission Bay Alliance's consulting team is in flux. The group's PR firm, Singer & Associates, quit last week, a team source confirmed after the news was first reported by the San Francisco Business Times. And it is now working with legal firm Browne George Ross LLP, according to the website, after Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP left the case in April.
Following news of the ruling, San Francisco mayor Ed Lee issued the following statement:
“Today’s Superior Court decision is an important milestone in the process of bringing the Golden State Warriors back to San Francisco and to building a state-of-the-art entertainment venue the entire San Francisco Bay Area can be proud of.
The decision of the court validates the extraordinary work of our Planning Department, the Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure, the City Attorney’s Office, the University of California San Francisco and the broader San Francisco community over the last two years. The City left no stone unturned in its construction of a comprehensive, detailed and thorough Subsequent Environmental Impact Report.
The Warriors are inspiring a new generation of fans throughout the Bay Area, and I can’t wait to welcome them back home to San Francisco.”
