Warriors set to start building Mission Bay arena on Jan. 17

Construction will begin on the Warriors’ new Mission Bay arena Jan. 17. It’s the final major step in returning the NBA team to San Francisco beginning with the 2019-20 season.

The groundbreaking of the basketball and entertainment venue, to be called the Chase Center, will take place at noon at Third and 16th streets. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, All-Star forward Kevin Durant, President Rick Welts, owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, and Mayor Ed Lee will attend. It will be broadcast live on CSN Bay Area and streamed at www.chasecenter.com and www.csnbayarea.com.

Lee made the 18,500-seat arena one of his top priorities, calling it his “legacy project” when it was first proposed for Piers 30-32 on the Embarcadero south of the Bay Bridge. But after that location fell to widespread opposition — much of it concern about blocked views — the team purchased a parcel of land that had been intended for a new Salesforce office campus at Mission Bay.

Rendering released on Dec. 10, 2014, show the east aerial view of the Golden State Warriors' proposed new arena in San Francisco's Mission Bay. Rendering released on Dec. 10, 2014, show the east aerial view of the Golden State Warriors' proposed new arena in San Francisco's Mission Bay. Photo: Images Rendered By Steelblue., Courtesy Of MANICA Architecture. Photo: Images Rendered By Steelblue., Courtesy Of MANICA Architecture. Image 1 of / 24 Caption Close Warriors set to start building Mission Bay arena on Jan. 17 1 / 24 Back to Gallery

That didn’t stop the opposition, as a well-funded group calling itself the Mission Bay Alliance was formed to fight it. The group described itself as UCSF researchers, faculty and stakeholders, although its financial backing largely came from donors to the school.

The alliance, as well as the Sierra Club and others, cited concerns about traffic restricting access to the nearby UCSF-Mission Bay hospital.

For the past year, the project had been tied up in litigation, but in late November a state court of appeals rejected a lawsuit by the opponents.

To handle the massive influx of people going to the arena, city officials plan to add Muni light-rail cars, increase Caltrain service and add sidewalks and bike lanes, among other measures.

Susan Brandt-Hawley, a lawyer for the Mission Bay Alliance and other arena opponents, didn’t respond to a request for comment about the planned groundbreaking.

Welts celebrated the upcoming groundbreaking.

“Chase Center and the surrounding area will serve as a destination for the entire community, and we will continue to work to make sure it is the best experience possible for everyone to enjoy NBA basketball, concerts, family shows, conventions and more,” Welts said in a statement.

Lee was also exultant. “This new venue will not only ensure our beloved Warriors remain in the Bay Area, but it will fill a void in San Francisco’s portfolio of arts and events facilities,” the mayor said in a statement.

“It will provide enormous economic benefits, including thousands of new jobs and millions in new tax revenues for the city.”

Emily Green is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: egreen@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @emilytgreen