The Philadelphia 76ers recently abandoned their plans to build an arena in Center City and will remain at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex.
The new arena plans were discussed at a press conference hosted by Philadelphia Mayor and 2016 Fels Institute of Government graduate Cherelle Parker. Under the agreement, the 76ers and Comcast will partner to build an arena in the Sports Complex. The space will be used by both the 76ers and the Philadelphia Flyers and is set to be finished by 2031.
Sixers' owner Josh Harris, a 1986 Wharton graduate, and Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts, a 1981 Wharton graduate, also attended the conference, both of whom have been funding the Chinatown development plan.
Parker said that the deal, which had been struck between Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment and Comcast Spectacor, was a “win, win, win, win for Philadelphia.” The partnership will also include a 50-50 venture to support the revitalization of Philadelphia’s Market East area.
The announcement came as a turn of events shortly after Philadelphia City Council members approved the legislative package that formed the proposal of a new 76ers arena’s construction in Center City. The hearing was delayed for around half an hour by protestors who objected to the plan. The individuals donned shirts that read “City Council sold out Philly” and sat arm in arm on the floor of council chambers until they were forcibly removed by police.
In a statement released following the announcement, Councilmember Jaime Gauthier — who voted against the Chinatown arena plan — wrote that the "news is a win for both vulnerable communities and our city. It also confirms that 76DevCo was not engaging the City in good faith."
"We’re glad that the Sixers will remain in the stadium district where they best belong. But the way they reached this decision reflects a profound lack of respect for City leaders, stakeholders, and residents," Gauthier wrote. "It was shameful for 76DevCo to pit working-class Philadelphians against one another and pressure City Council to consider a half-baked proposal on an artificially rushed timeline."
On Jan. 13, community members gathered in front of the Friendship Archway in Chinatown to celebrate the scrapped Center City arena plans. Speakers from Asian Americans United and other local activist groups affiliated with the No Arena Coalition highlighted the potential negative impacts that a Center City arena would have brought, including gentrification and the destruction of Chinatown. They celebrated the arena result as a victory of community organizing and cross-racial solidarity, citing the months of protest and activism that led to the decision.
College senior Taryn Flaherty spoke at the event alongside Bryn Mawr student Kaia Chau. The two co-founded Students for the Preservation of Chinatown and the Ginger Arts Center.
“The No Arena fight is a wake up call to the city,” Flaherty said in her speech. “It's a wake up call to our mayor and our city council that when you roll out a red carpet for the Sixers, you become the carpet they will trample all over.”
Chau later told The Daily Pennsylvanian that she was relieved at the arena victory but cautioned that the fight against gentrification had not concluded.
“Honestly, it's been a really big relief, but at the same time there is still hesitation,” Chau said. “The fight against gentrification and against billionaire developers taking over the city isn't over, and even though we're elated to hear there's not going to be an arena outside of Chinatown, we're still hesitant of what this new development could look like.”
Founder of Asian Americans United Mary Yee, a 1990 Stuart Weitzman School of Design and 2018 Penn Graduate School of Education alumna, told the DP that although the new arena plans are cause for relief, community members are not done advocating for justice and equitable development.
“The community had been saying how unfeasible and detrimental the arena would be and of course city council and the mayor did not listen to that,” Yee said. “Now the new effort will be to develop a citizens’ master plan. Really this needs to be a master plan for all of Philadelphia.”
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