A stunning reversal after Steph Curry’s off-court business Thirty Ink made the splashy $8.5 million purchase of a new Dogpatch headquarters, as Curry’s people now say they’re backing out of the deal over some bizarre squabble over union carpenters.

SFist received two extraordinarily shocking emails between about 3:30 and 5:30 pm Thursday afternoon. Both had to do with Steph Curry’s swanky new forthcoming business headquarters that he was planning to build in Dogpatch for his off-court business company Thirty Ink, on a property that he bought for the steep price tag of $8.5 million in May 2024.

Both emails said the deal was being completely called off, in shocking, out-of-the-blue fashion.

“Our dream of building a new Thirty Ink HQ at 600 20th Street has been destroyed by the Carpenters Local Union and the project is being cancelled effective immediately,” Thirty Ink spokesperson Michael Smith said in a 3:44 pm Thursday email.

“While a project of this size typically requires zero union workers, we committed to having a 40% union workforce," the statement continued. "A Carpenters Local Union representative initially acknowledged that commitment was more than adequate under the circumstances. Unfortunately, our generous and completely unnecessary approach has been deemed unacceptable.”

Less than two hours later, SFist received a statement from the Nor Cal Carpenters Union. And oddly, it was sent by local PR mogul Sam Singer’s company Singer Associates.

“When Steph Curry walks on the basketball court he doesn’t give 40 percent effort, he gives 100 percent. The working men and women of the Nor Cal Carpenters Union expects that Mr. Curry’s nonprofit give that same 100 percent to local labor as well,” Nor Cal Carpenters Union executive secretary treasurer Jay Bradshaw said in that email from 5:37 pm Thursday.

“We look forward to the opportunity to work with Mr. Curry and Thirty Ink to ensure they retain contractors that respect Carpenter labor standards in San Francisco and throughout Northern California, and union labor is used in the construction of any of their projects that benefit workers and the entire community," he added.

So they’re calling off the whole project because of some dispute over what percentage of the carpenters would be unionized? And how big of a role do carpenters even play in a project that would also involve construction workers, brickmasonry, flooring and tile installers, and the like?

The Chronicle confirms this very odd turn of events, noting that Thirty Ink already has a current office in SoMa, serving as the headquarters for Curry’s various business and nonprofit pursuits. And mind you, Team Curry was not pinching pennies when they paid $8.5 million for what is currently not that impressive of a building, and still has the “Jim’s Smoke Shop & Deli” sign on it.

This may all still just be a negotiation where the two slides got nasty with one another in the newspapers, but will eventually iron out some agreeable union labor percentage. Or it may be some genuine union-busting, at a time when developers are looking to offset the inflated costs of materials.  

But these are not great optics for Steph Curry, whose off-court brand is built on goodwill and generosity.

And speaking of money, good luck selling that building in this market for anywhere near the $8.5 million that Curry’s people paid for it.

Related: New Plans Announced for Steph Curry’s Splashy New Offices In Dogpatch [SFist]

Image: NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 07: Stephen Curry and Ayesha Curry are seen at the Women's Final Sabalenka vs. Pegula on Day Thirteen of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 07, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images)