PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers have notably reversed their plans for a $1.3 billion arena in the city’s downtown, a decision that comes shortly after they obtained city council approval for the highly debated proposal.
According to reports, several council members have verified that the team is now collaborating with Comcast Spectacor to remain within the sports stadium district in Philadelphia. However, specifics about the new arrangements have yet to be disclosed.
Requests for comments from the 76ers, the mayor’s office, and Comcast Spectacor—which operates the Wells Fargo Center, the current home of the team—went unanswered on Sunday. The team currently leases the arena from Comcast Spectacor, which is also the owner of the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team that shares the venue.
The city council had greenlit the downtown arena project on December 19, after over two years of contentious discussions, with the ownership group aiming to relocate to the proposed 76 Place site by 2031. This decision was made despite strong opposition from residents in nearby Chinatown and various activist groups.
Council member Jimmy Harrity expressed his frustration, stating, “I’m so livid right now I don’t even know what to do.” Harrity, who had supported the proposal, mentioned feeling manipulated in the process.
Mayor Cherelle Parker, a Democrat who was a vocal supporter of the initiative, had suggested that the entire city would benefit from this “historic game-changing economic development project.” Proponents believed that the 18,500-seat arena would play a crucial role in revitalizing the struggling retail corridor known as Market East, which stretches from City Hall to the Liberty Bell. The area has faced persistent challenges despite various efforts for redevelopment over the years.
The owners of the team, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, aimed for city approval before the end of the year to align with their intended opening timeline. They had asserted they would not seek local funding for construction, though they could pursue state and federal financial support. Rather than traditional property taxes, the team would have contributed approximately $6 million annually in payments in lieu of taxes.
Many opponents raised concerns that the arena could result in traffic congestion on game days and trigger gentrification, along with increasing rental costs in the locality.
The Chinatown community has a long-standing history of opposing various development projects since the 1960s, including proposals for casinos, prisons, baseball stadiums, and highways, the latter of which severely impacted the neighborhood when it was constructed in 1991.
