The Golden State Warriors proposed to construct an 18,500-seat event center to host the Warriors’ NBA games, and to provide a state-of-the-art venue for concerts and other functions. The project also includes two 11-story office buildings and retail uses. The 11-acre site is located in the Mission Bay area of San Francisco, adjacent to the bay. The proposal met with unrelenting opposition from a small group of benefactors of UC San Francisco, who wanted to reserve the property for medical research. The City certified the EIR and approved the project in December 2015. The project qualified for a “fast-track” litigation schedule under Assembly Bill 900.

The trial court and First District Court of Appeal both ruled that the EIR was adequate. (Mission Bay Alliance v. Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure (2016) 6 Cal.App.5th 160.) Groundbreaking occurred in January 2017, on the same day the California Supreme Court denied a petition for review, ending the litigation. The EIR prepared by the City has won an award of excellence from the Association of Environmental Professionals, and co-counsel Gibson Dunn received a “California Lawyer of the Year” award for its work. Whit Manley of RMM served as lead CEQA counsel for the Warriors, and argued the case at both trial and on appeal.