Philadelphia Mayor, Philadelphia Sixers Reach Agreement on Proposed Downtown Arena

Philadelphia Mayor Cheryl Parker has endorsed the Philadelphia Sixers’ plans to build a new arena downtown, saying in a video on social media Wednesday that she has reached an agreement to keep the team in Philadelphia.

This news comes a week after the appointment of a mayor. Hosted by City Hall for the controversial project that would affect the neighbouring Chinatown area.

In the video, Parker claimed that the proposal to build the arena is “the best financial deal that the mayor of Philadelphia has ever made for a local sports arena.” She said she believes building the arena downtown is “the right deal for the people of Philadelphia.”

The proposed $1.55 billion plaza, 76 Place, would be located in the city’s Market East section, at Market and Filbert streets and 10th and 11th streets, and would replace part of Philadelphia’s Fashion District. It would also bring a mixed-use high-rise with about 395 units next to the plaza.

With Parker’s approval, the proposal now needs City Council support to gain final approval. The mayor said she will hold additional town hall meetings for the proposed arena as it moves to City Council. She said the agreement would bring “more than $1.3 billion in private investment to our city.”

“We are grateful to Mayor Parker and her team for their time and diligence in evaluating our proposal and look forward to moving forward with the next steps with City Council,” the Philadelphia Sixers said in a statement.

The proposed Sixers arena, which was introduced in 2022, would be in Councilman Mark Squilla’s district. He previously said the decision on 76 Places Likely in the Fall.

Squill said in August that if legislation on the plaza is introduced, there will be public comment hearings and amendments to consider before any final decision is voted on. He also said he will share the legislation with key stakeholders 30 days before it is introduced to get feedback.

City officials are committed to helping protect residents of Chinatown and surrounding neighborhoods, Squilla said Wednesday.

“We know these challenges when we are presented with these big projects and we have to make sure that these guarantees are in place,” he said.

The Philadelphia Sixers previously said they did not have enough time to get approval to open the arena before the 2031-32 NBA season. The team’s lease at the Wells Fargo Center, owned by Comcast Spectacor Inc., expires in 2031.

Comcast Spectacor CEO Dan Hilferty said Wednesday they will leave the door open for the Philadelphia Sixers to stay at the Wells Fargo Center while Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment continues negotiations with the city.

“Regardless of the outcome of the city’s negotiations with HBSE, our door will always be open for the 76ers to join us in South Philadelphia if they determine that is best for their team,” Hilferty said in a statement. “Along with Philadelphia, we are working to create A dynamic and accessible destination. “We aim to create new jobs in sports and entertainment, which will create thousands of jobs, enhance our city’s reputation, and create many community benefits. Either way, we always want what’s best for Philadelphia.”

Parker’s announcement comes after The state of New Jersey has offered the Sixers the chance to build the proposed arena. On the Camden waterfront just north of the Ben Franklin Bridge. The deal included tax breaks and bonds worth more than $1 billion.

After the deal emerged from New Jersey, It was a priority, Parker said. To keep the Sixers in town the team looked at all options.

In late August, the city launched Four highly anticipated independent studies About the impacts of the proposed plaza. The long-awaited reports focused on the community impact, traffic impact, economic impact and design of 76 Place.

Reports have concluded that the Sixers’ proposed arena could indirectly displace businesses and residents in Chinatown, which lies north of 76 Place. Reports also found that public transport will be essential. For the plaza to be successful, if more than 40% of people drive to 76 Place, some intersections may become congested with cars.

The Philadelphia Sixers and others supporting the proposed arena, including the Philadelphia Building Trades Council, IBEW Local 98 and the NAACP Philadelphia, said it would revitalize the Market East neighborhood and create jobs.

In a statement released Wednesday, Philadelphia Building and Construction Board Business Director Ryan Boyer thanked the mayor for his support of the Philadelphia Eagles’ new arena.

“Jobs are the lifeblood of artisans. The thousands of jobs that 76 Place will create are unprecedented,” Boyer said. “I implore the City Council to ignore the sensationalist headlines and support the development of 76 Place in East Market. Failure to do so could result in the franchise moving to Camden. Don’t let that happen.”

the Save Chinatown Alliance Save Chinatown has strongly opposed the plaza’s construction, saying the development would harm the neighborhood. In a statement Wednesday, Save Chinatown said the “fight is not over.”

“Mayor Parker has yet to meet with Chinatown officials after all this time, but she feels she can take a stand on whether our community should live or die,” Debbie Wei of the Save Chinatown Alliance said in a statement. “This was not about one person, and this fight is not over. We will fight for this, and we will go to the ring. That is okay.”

In a video endorsing the proposed plaza, Parker said she had heard concerns from Chinatown advocates.

“Now, to the good people of Chinatown, please listen to me,” Parker said in the video. “I see you. I listen to you. I want your rich, vibrant community and proud history to survive and thrive. I believe we have the best Chinatown in the country, and I am committed to working with you to support it.”

A full presentation on the proposed arena will be released “very soon,” Parker said.

Annie Lu, an attorney for the Asian American Legal Defense Fund, said she was one of about a dozen people invited to a meeting with Parker but left with more questions than answers from the mayor.

“She announced her decision for a few minutes but decided not to share any details with us in the community benefits agreement that she apparently already negotiated with the developers,” Lu said. “She announced that she would hold another briefing next week. We don’t know the day or time. She said maybe Monday or Tuesday.”

Katie Garth, co-founder of No Arena Washington Square West, launched an online petition calling on the city to reject the Sixers’ arena. As of Wednesday evening, the petition had 952 signatures.

“Last week, we saw the state of New Jersey come out with some graphics, and I’m sure some of those graphics were influenced by the Philadelphia Sixers saying they were ready to go there,” Garth said. “And this week, we’re seeing Mayor Parker being effectively bullied into accepting this deal. The meetings she’s been having are just smoke and mirrors, and we know she’s not listening to her constituents.”

“Independent researchers almost unanimously agree that these projects are not economic recovery projects,” she added.

Lexi Daniels, who lives in the city, also opposes the plaza. Daniels claims the plaza will have a “devastating effect on the culture” of Chinatown. Parking will also be an issue, Daniels said.

Richard Rodgers lives in the suburbs and says the Philadelphia Sixers belong in the city, but he said he understands concerns about its potential impact on Chinatown.

“I’ve always thought that a sports arena should be in the city, not in the suburbs or across the river,” Rodgers said. “But Chinatown is an asset to the city, and if it’s encroached upon or destroyed in any way, that’s not going to be good.”

Anthony Martin Jr., who lives in Philadelphia, said creating a downtown plaza would be “a really good thing for the city.”

“This will bring more business, it will bring more money into the city. So all of this is good. More jobs, all of this,” Martin Jr. said.