Warriors, Kaiser to partner on ‘Thrive City' area surrounding new Chase Center
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - The 11-acre area surrounding the Golden State Warriors new home in San Francisco, the Chase Center, will be called Thrive Center when it opens this fall, team officials announced Tuesday.
The name is the result of a multi-year partnership between the back-to-back NBA championship-winning team and non-profit Oakland-based health care system Kaiser Permanente. The partnership also names Kaiser as the team's official physician.
Warriors and Kaiser officials hope to make the area a community gathering space, focused on provide health programs to visitors such as fitness clinics, yoga sessions, a farmers market and ice skating.
Anchored by the sports and entertainment complex, Thrive City will also include a Warriors practice facility, underground parking, a park, and public art installations, as well as space for retail shops, restaurants and offices.
"The first year of Chase Center will be an incredible year of discovery for the community as we'll continuously roll out new programming, retail, restaurants and entertainment at Thrive City," Warriors President and Chief Operating Officer Rick Welts said in a statement. "We know this will become a gathering place for everyone and are excited to see it come to life over the first year of operation."
Chairman and Kaiser Permanente CEO Bernard J. Tyson said, "The Golden State Warriors are one of the most impactful brands in professional sports, and we are thrilled to join with them to improve the health of the Bay Area communities we serve through Thrive City, which will serve as a flagship presence and destination for total health.
"Additionally, broadening our partnership with the Warriors to become the official team physicians demonstrates our excellence in sports medicine. Our leading team of sports medicine specialists will bring expert care to support the ongoing good health of the team," he said.
In addition to Thrive City, Kaiser also announced it will open its second Northern California Sports Medicine Center just blocks away. The 16,000-square-foot facility will serve as a center where Kaiser physicians will diagnose and treat people with sport and recreational-related injuries, including Warriors team members.
The sports medicine center will open in late July or early August.
The Chase Center will open when the NBA season begins in October.