Unseen Vista

Movie mogul and Warriors shareholder Peter Guber communicates his vision.

The heavy hitters were out in force today to announce the return of the Golden State Warriors to San Francisco. The rechristened "San Francisco Warriors" (as they were originally called) will move to a new arena built on the Embarcadero, just a half-mile from AT&T Park. The Warriors' new home will cost at least $500 million.

Completing the sports palace by 2017 faces daunting environmental, traffic, financial, and political obstacles. Proponents say that the benefits justify the cost: the spectacular backdrop of the bridge and the Bay will not only be good for the team, they say, but will attract tourist and convention dollars to the City.

Basketball being an indoor sport, it's difficult to make the connection between the venue and the basketball-watching experience. Unlike Giants fans at AT&T Park, Warriors fans will be unable to look at the scenery while they're watching the game.

But we shouldn't underestimate the boldness and imagination of the Warriors ownership. Deep-pocketed, technically savvy tycoons like Peter Guber and Joe Lacob may already be working on a solution.

For instance, Bay views would be possible from an arena built with transparent aluminum, a substance that was invented in San Francisco (okay, it was in a movie). It turns out, however, that transparent aluminum is not fiction but reality . Looking out to the Bay from an arena built with transparent aluminum...wouldn't that be something?

I'd pay to see that.

Hole-in-the-wall landmark Red's Java House will be preserved, say the owners.