The Philadelphia 76ers have been given the green light for a $1.3bn (£1.04bn/€1.25bn) arena project that has been the cause of much debate, with the NBA franchise now set for a future away from their current Wells Fargo Center home.
Philadelphia City Council yesterday (Thursday) gave a final 12-5 vote on the bills that approve the 76 Place venture, which was initially set out by the Sixers in July 2022. The team had claimed it needed city approval for the new privately funded project by the end of the year in order for it to meet a targeted opening for the 2031-32 NBA season.
The Sixers currently share Wells Fargo Center with NHL ice hockey franchise the Philadelphia Flyers. The arena is owned by Comcast Spectacor and the Sixers’ lease at the facility is due to expire in 2031.
Yesterday’s vote was teed up as Philadelphia City Council’s Committee of the Whole last week voted 12-4 to grant preliminary approval to the 18,500-seat Sixers basketball arena for Center City.
The project has proven a controversial one, with vocal opposition being raised through what had been eight public hearings on the scheme. The start of yesterday’s proceedings was also delayed as anti-arena demonstrators staged one last, ultimately fruitless, protest.
The final sticking point in talks between the Sixers and Council members proved to be the makeup of a community benefits package tied to the scheme. The Sixers had originally pledged $50m towards an agreement designed to fund measures reducing the effects of the project on neighbouring businesses and residents, especially in Chinatown.
Proposed revisions had called for a $100m payment, while the Save Chinatown Coalition put forward as much as $300m. In the end, the legislation set out last week and approved yesterday set the figure at $60m.
In September, the Mayor of Philadelphia, Cherelle Parker, backed the plans, despite the vocal opposition, as the Sixers were courted by the nearby states of New Jersey and Delaware.
The project is set to be a defining moment in Parker’s administration, with the Mayor having been a proponent of the scheme throughout. Parker said yesterday that approving the arena is a “victory for Philadelphia.”
“We are talking about a $1.3bn economic development project, $700m in prospective tax revenue, a $60m (community benefits agreement),” she added according to the Philadelphia Enquirer. “If you wanted to ask, how am I feeling? I’m feeling very grateful. I’m feeling very humble.”
Council president, Kenyatta Johnson, has also been a backer of the scheme. He said: “Contrary to popular belief, if we had rejected this particular deal, we would have been fools. This is a project I believe will transform Center City.”
The Sixers in October scaled back plans for the arena project by eliminating a 25-story apartment tower from the scheme. The team added plans for a $250m mixed-income housing development as part of updated proposals for its 76 Place project back in August 2023.
Following yesterday’s vote, Sixers co-owner, David Adelman, said in a statement: “The leadership that Council and the Mayor have displayed embodies a greater vision for Philadelphia. They recognise how important this project is for the revitalisation of our city.
“We would also like to give a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to our many supporters and partners over the past two years for championing this project. Although a lot of work has been done to get here, we know there is much more to do. We look forward to pursuing the remaining approvals to make 76 Place a reality.”
Demolition on the arena site is scheduled to start in June 2026, with construction expected to begin at the end of August 2028.
