The NBA’s Golden State Warriors are in the midst of a remarkably successful run atop a league that is widely viewed as being in a particularly competitive era. Despite the fact that the NBA is about as flush with talent as it’s ever been, the Warriors have risen above the heap and won three of the last four titles. And sure enough, they’re favored to win again in 2018-19, possibly with relative ease.
Because of this dominance, the Warriors have essentially become the gold standard franchise of the modern NBA, which is to say all eyes are on Golden State. As you might imagine then, the club’s decision to build a new arena has earned it quite a few headlines. Currently, the Warriors play their home games in Oakland, at Oracle Arena. The new arena, however, which is under construction at the time of this writing, will be in the Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco. Set to be called the Chase Center, it’s beginning to generate a decent amount of excitement, and the Warriors, for their part, say it will be the best arena in the NBA.
What it may also be is a model of sustainability and environmental sustainability for other professional franchises and funding groups to follow when building the stadiums and entertainment centers of the near future.
An interview that Green Sports Blog published with Peter Bryan, the VP of Construction and Development for the Chase Center, delved into some of the anticipated features and efforts associated with the arena. A few of the important notes were as followed:
- The arena will have a bike valet with space for 300 bicycles.
- Water efficiency has been prioritized, with a “top quality water re-use program” and other waste reduction methods in place.
- Mass transit to the area is being improved.
- The on-site parking will have 29 electric vehicle charging stations.
- The arena will be equipped to handle waste via recycling, composting, and landfill.
- Arena food will be locally sourced.
All of this together, along with continued efforts to further sustainability, are helping the Chase Center to aim for a LEED Gold certification, which is essentially a recognition of environmentally responsible design. It remains to be seen how effectively the final stadium will address the efforts and intentions outlined above, but it certainly sounds as if the stadium will be a model of sustainability.
Given that it also looks to be a gorgeous venue that will provide a tremendous fan experience – and given that the Warriors are in many respects leading the way for the modern NBA – one can only hope that the Chase Center will be a trendsetter as well.