Construction on the 13-acre site at Piers 30-32 would place this new arena among the pantheon of visually stunning sports arenas. However, that grandeur doesn’t come cheap. Piers 30-32 were built in multiple stages over several years and require severe retrofitting and renovation to be a suitable building spot for a massive sports arena. Original estimates were $60 million to get the piers into buildable shape, but that projected cost has more than doubled to over $120 in latest cost estimates.
Warriors President Rick Welts said that many costs have escalated due to the existing condition of the piers, saying, “Right now, it’s falling into the Bay. A lot of work has to be done to bring it back to a state where we can actually have a place that people can enjoy.”
The increased amount of retrofitting and construction required could push back the completion and opening of the structure. In an interview with Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News, Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob said, “I do know there’s a possibility, certainly, that it could be delayed. It’s not a probability at this point. The probability is that we achieve our goal.”
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