Current:Home > NewsPhiladelphia mayor strikes a deal with the 76ers to build a new arena downtown -FinanceMind
Philadelphia mayor strikes a deal with the 76ers to build a new arena downtown
View
Date:2025-04-15 01:57:31
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers have a new teammate in their bid to build a new $1.3 billion arena downtown.
Mayor Cherelle Parker announced Wednesday that she has forged a deal with team owners to keep the NBA franchise in town and will send it to city council. The decision comes despite objections from nearby Chinatown residents and just weeks after New Jersey’s governor offered $400 million in tax breaks to build the site across the river in Camden.
“This is an historic agreement,” Parker said in a video posted on the social platform X. “I wholeheartedly believe this is the right deal for the people of Philadelphia. To the people of Chinatown, please know that I hear you. We have the best Chinatown in the United States, and I am committed to working together to support it.”
Team owners say their planned 76 Place would improve a struggling retail corridor near City Hall and capitalize on the city’s public transit. They have vowed not to renew the lease on their current home, a circa 1996 arena in the city’s South Philadelphia sports complex, when their lease runs out in 2031.
The team now rents the arena from Comcast Spectacor, which also owns the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL, who also play there. Instead, the Sixers’ owners want their own, more modern facility, one they could also rent out for concerts and other events.
Josh Harris, a managing partner of the ownership group, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, has said the Sixers will build a privately funded facility that “strengthens ties within the local community through investments that prioritize equity, inclusivity and accessibility.”
On Wednesday, a spokesperson said the owners were grateful for Parker’s support of their proposal “and look forward to advancing to the next steps with city council.”
Chinatown activists who have felt the squeeze of development repeatedly since at least the 1990s had urged the mayor to reject the plan. They are only now getting some relief from a sunken expressway that cleaved their community in two in 1991, in the form of a $159 million grant to build a park over the six-lane highway and reconnect the area.
Parker, who inherited the 76ers issue when she took office in January, had promised to consider their input. Activists complained Wednesday that she ignored it. Some of them took to City Hall with homemade lanterns to “shine a light” on the potential consequences. They say the project will increase vehicle traffic in their pedestrian-friendly neighborhood and force vulnerable residents — older people, low-income families and new immigrants — out.
Debbie Wei, of the Save Chinatown Coalition, said the mayor alone should not decide “whether our community should live or die.”
“This fight is far from over,” she said in a statement. “We are going to fight this, and we are going to the mat. It’s on.”
Comcast Spectacor Chairman and CEO Daniel J. Hilferty said they will keep the door open for the 76ers as the plan unfolds while working with the Phillies to expand entertainment venues and jobs at the South Philadelphia complex.
“Either way, we always want what is best for Philadelphia,” Hilferty said in a statement.
___
AP sportswriter Dan Gelston contributed to this report from Philadelphia.
veryGood! (26)
Related
- Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
- Cardinals, Anheuser-Busch agree to marketing extension, including stadium naming rights
- Swedish authorities broaden their investigation into a construction elevator crash that killed 5
- Pink Claps Back at Hater Saying She “Got Old”
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Who is Las Vegas Raiders' starting QB? Aidan O'Connell could give way to Brian Hoyer
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Archewell Foundation sees $11 million drop in donations
- Travis Kelce defends Chiefs receivers, slams media for 'pointing fingers'
- Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
- Giant five-alarm fire in the Bronx sweeps through 6 New York City businesses
Ranking
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Wisconsin Supreme Court refuses to hear lawsuit challenging voucher school program
- Philips CPAP users can now file for piece of proposed $479 million settlement. Here's how to apply.
- Bomb blast damages commercial area near Greece’s largest port but causes no injuries
- See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
- Travis Kelce Gives Girlfriend Taylor Swift a Shoutout Over Top-Selling Jersey Sales
- Fed holds rates steady as inflation eases, forecasts 3 cuts in 2024
- Giants offered comparable $700M deal to Shohei Ohtani as the Dodgers
Recommendation
Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
Charlie Sheen Reveals Where He and Ex Denise Richards Stand After Divorce
André Braugher mourned by 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' co-star Terry Crews: 'You taught me so much'
The Supreme Court will rule on limits on a commonly used abortion medication
Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
The Fed leaves interest rates unchanged as cooling inflation provides comfort
Take the Lead this Holiday Season with Jenna Dewan's Super Gift Ideas
Pennsylvania lawmakers defeat funding for Penn amid criticism over school’s stance on antisemitism