Featured image credit: 76 Place
Mayor of Philadelphia Cherelle Parker has backed plans for a new arena in the city for the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, despite objections from locals in nearby Chinatown.
The backing is set to secure the Sixers’ future in Philadelphia amid interest in the team from the nearby states of New Jersey and Delaware.
The Sixers have been focused on delivering a new arena in the centre of Philadelphia, in the current Fashion District Philadelphia area near the Chinatown neighbourhood. Plans for the arena, provisionally dubbed 76 Place, were first announced in July 2022.
The City of Philadelphia last month publicly released four reports commissioned to study the Sixers’ proposed $1.55bn (£1.17bn/€1.39bn) arena project. The delivery of the reports, eight months later than originally intended, came with the team having claimed that legislation on the scheme needed to be introduced in early September in order for the 18,500-seat arena to open on time.
It is hoped the arena will be completed in time for the 2031-32 NBA season. The original timeline for the project foresaw that construction work would not begin until 2028, after the necessary approvals, design process and demolition work had been carried out.
New renderings for the arena were released in June 2023, courtesy of Gensler and CBL Real Estate. The arena’s capacity of 18,500 would be slightly less than Wells Fargo Center, the team’s current home, which it shares with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers and holds 20,478 fans.
Mayor Parker’s backing comes just days after the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) stepped up its campaign to attract the Sixers to the city of Camden by setting out how a new arena could appear for the franchise.
A multi-billion-dollar mixed-use development scheme had been earmarked for state-owned land adjacent to the Delaware River in Camden, but Parker’s announcement appears to have secured the Sixers’ future in Philadelphia.
In a post on X, Parker hailed the “historic agreement” between the City of Philadelphia and the Sixers.
She said: “My administration has reached an agreement with the Philadelphia 76ers for an arena in centre-city, and I will be transmitting the related legislative package to our City Council of Philadelphia for its consideration, where it must be approved.
“Philadelphia, I am proud. This is an historic agreement. It is the best financial deal ever entered into by a Philadelphia mayor for a local sports arena and I wholeheartedly believe it is the right deal for the people of Philadelphia.”
A formal presentation will be held in due course, where the mayor will share more details around the deal. Town hall meetings are also planned across the city.
Parker added: “This agreement represents more than $1.3bn of private investment in our city. It will mean hundreds of millions of dollars in new tax revenues for our city of Philadelphia and our school district. It will also mean hundreds and hundreds of jobs for Philadelphians. It means an economic opportunity plan, quite frankly the likes of which has never been seen in our city.”
Addressing Chinatown residents, Parker said: “I see you. I listen to you. I want your rich and vibrant community and proud history to not just survive but to thrive. I believe we have the best Chinatown in the nation and I am committed to working together with you to support it.”
The team’s owners, HBSE, have welcomed Parker’s support, but Chinatown activists remain committed in their opposition to the Sixers’ plans.
In a statement reported by the Associated Press, Debbie Wei, of the Save Chinatown Coalition, said: “This fight is far from over. We are going to fight this, and we are going to the mat. It’s on.”
Wells Fargo Center is owned by Comcast Spectacor and the Sixers’ lease at the facility is due to expire in 2031.
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