Chase Center’s origin a unique Bay Area blend of politics and protest
The planning and construction of the Warriors’ San Francisco arena was a drawn-out saga that culminated quickly with the decision to build Chase Center. Historical details can get lost in the fog, but it’s easy to pinpoint the exact moment that the Golden State Warriors’ dreams of building an opulent arena at the foot of the Bay Bridge hit a brick wall. It happened at a debate. Actually, it was more like a wrestling cage match. The Warriors’ proposed arena, a basketball version of the Sydney Opera House, began to die on the evening of June 4, 2013, at a meeting of the Potrero Hill Democratic Club. The debate was between Art Agnos and Rick Welts. Welts was the Warriors’ dynamic president and CEO, presenting the case for why the proposed privately built arena would become an instant San Francisco treasure and landmark. Agnos, charismatic former San Francisco mayor and longtime champion of the underdog, argued that the proposed arena would be an environmental disaster and tragically out o