Warriors Want New Arena or They’ll Leave Oakland

The Golden State Warriors issued the Oakland Coliseum an ultimatum to either build a new 20,000-seat arena by 1992 or lose the NBA team.

“We’ll be playing in a new arena in 1992, if not in Oakland, somewhere else,” team President Daniel Finnane said.

However, the Coliseum board has already agreed in principle to his demand, and a working draft of the proposal is being evaluated by city and county staff members, the Tribune of Oakland reported in today’s editions.

Up to $80 Million

The new arena would cost up to $80 million.

The Warriors’ demand comes as the Oakland, Alameda County and the Coliseum board of directors are considering a $107-million plan to lure back the Los Angeles Raiders NFL team.

The demand raised fears that the effort to attract the Raiders is in trouble, but county and Coliseum officials said the two proposed deals are separate and that both are possible.

“We’re enthused with the total program. If the Raiders return, we would be the first facility to have major league baseball, basketball and football teams,” Coliseum President George Vukasin said.

The 15,025-seat Coliseum arena is the second-smallest facility in the NBA. There has been talk of renovating the 22-year-old facility, but the Warriors contend it will not work.

“Remodeling is just a Band-Aid,” Finnane said. “We’ve got to do this right for the benefit of the community and the Warriors.”

The new arena would seat 20,000 people and include up to 120 luxury boxes, which are a prime source of revenue, he said. He would like to have the existing arena--with no luxury boxes--torn down.

The new arena would probably be built with revenue bonds issued by the Coliseum, said Steve Szalay, chief administrative officer of Alameda County.