Artist’s rendering of new arena. (Art Zendarski/Future Cities)
A privately financed project at San Francisco’s Piers 30-32 gets the three-point game winner with a landmark hiring agreement between the Golden State Warriors, labor unions and the community to hire a minimum number of San Francisco residents to build a proposed basketball and performing arts venue at Piers 30-32.
This is the first time a privately funded construction project assembled this kind of team to commit to hire 25 percent of the overall workforce from the city by the Bay.
“Creating and maintaining jobs in San Francisco benefits residents and local businesses; who in turn fuel our economy and keep our City moving in the right direction,” said Mayor Edwin Lee.
That’s not all: The Warriors, labor representatives and community advocates agree that 50 percent of apprentice-level workers would be hired locally as well.
“In addition to their commitment to invest in private funds to build a world class state-of-the-art venue, the Golden State Warriors have worked with labor and the community to create an unprecedented opportunity for our local workforce. As a champion for job creation and local hiring, I applaud the Golden State Warriors on this historic commitment,” said the mayor.
“When it comes to building our new home in San Francisco, it means hiring union, and hiring local. Together we are all in,” said Warriors President Rick Welts.
The new sports and entertainment arena will have 17,000 seats and should be built in time for the 2017-2018 NBA season.
“This is absolutely historic,” said Brightline Defense Project executive director Joshua Arce. “We have never seen any privately funded project, particularly no project of this scale and potential positive community impact, commit to a local hiring requirement.”
According to a recent Piers 30-32 fiscal report, more than 4,300 jobs will be created citywide. Broken down, that’s 2,623 construction jobs and 1,757 permanent jobs. The three year construction project is expected to bring in $1.5 billion into the workforce and economy through one-time construction and another $500 million in annual investments to the workforce on an ongoing basis.
An economic win for all parties involved when several groups come together for the good of a city and a region.
