After stalling twice on Wednesday, Philadelphia’s City Council voted on Thursday, Dec. 12, to allow the Philadelphia 76ers to build a new downtown arena. The vote was 12-4 in favor of the new arena. The proposed plan calls for the Sixers to be in their new arena in time for the 2031-32 season.
While the Sixers have touted the arena as an initiative to revitalize the downtown area, some in the city have vastly different opinions on the issue.
The team has agreed to contribute $60 million toward a CBA (Community Benefits Agreement), $10 million more than the team’s initial offer of $50 million. Skeptics of the project had stated that they wouldn’t support the new arena if the Sixers unless the team was going to contribute “$300 million to the CBA”.
City Council members, the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, and the Asian American Chamber of Commerce attended the meeting at City Hall.
Those opposing the planned arena are concerned that, on top of a huge increase in traffic congestion, the arrival of 76 Place will cause a drastic increase in rent and other expenses. This will ultimately lead to local businesses having to relocate or shut down completely, potentially displacing a large portion of the community that’s been in the area for close to a century.
On top of the arguments against the project from community members concerned about how the arena will affect their lives and livelihood is that the city lawmakers already passed two bills before the Thanksgiving holiday, one of which would exempt the Sixers from paying property taxes on the proposed arena. The concern is that the lawmakers are allowing the team to disrupt a portion of the city and that there will be no tax benefits to be potentially passed on by the city to the residents.
The Sixers are looking to move out of the South Philadelphia sports complex that they’ve called home and to eliminate having to share space with the Flyers, which they argue is hurting their ability to improve revenue and bring a more competitive team to the city. The downtown area, the Sixers contend, will create an environment that will welcome new businesses and residential redevelopment, which seems to be what the area residents are arguing against.
For now, the initiative will proceed with a final vote scheduled for December 19th, prior to the Council’s winter break.
