Mayor Endorses Center City Arena for Philadelphia 76ers

A new arena for the Philadelphia 76ers downtown is looking increasingly likely, despite fierce opposition from local community members.

On Wednesday, Mayor Cherelle Parker announced a “historic” agreement with the NBA team’s owners to build a $1.3 billion arena in Center City and keep the Sixers in Philadelphia, the Associated Press reported. The agreement will be sent to the city council for approval.

The deal would see the Sixers move out of South Philadelphia when their lease there expires in 2031. It’s unclear if the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers, the other major tenant at the Wells Fargo Center, would also move.

The Sixers’ managing partner, Josh Harris, said the new arena — slated for Market Street between 10th and 11th streets — would be privately funded. Local officials are hoping that 76 Place would breathe life into the downtrodden retail corridor, where the struggling Philadelphia Fashion District mall sits.

Forsaking public funding isn’t going to calm angry residents, though, particularly those in Chinatown. Parker acknowledged in her announcement that her decision would likely upset those in the neighborhood. The city’s Chinatown is still reeling from a divisive expressway that split the community three decades ago.

“This fight is far from over,” Debbie Wei, of the Save Chinatown Coalition, said in a statement. “We are going to fight this, and we are going to the mat. It’s on.”

The agreement will likely head off an attempt by New Jersey to woo the Sixers across state lines. The Garden State offered $400 million in tax breaks for the team to build an arena across the river in Camden.

The deal may also change the plans of Comcast Spectacor, which unveiled a $2.5 billion proposal for the 76ers’ current home, South Philadelphia Sports Complex, earlier this year. The first phase of the plan includes $12 million in upgrades for the Xfinity Live! entertainment hub, a 5,500-seat concert venue, a 250- to 300-key hotel and 300,000 square feet of retail space.

The project’s second phase — contingent on acquiring development rights — would feature 500,000 square feet of office space, 2,000 multifamily units, another 250-key hotel, 160,000 more square feet of retail space and 10,000 parking spots.

In the past, the developer has said the Sixers’ staying put in South Philadelphia would not be a prerequisite for the project, though it has held the door open for the team to stay.

— Holden Walter-Warner