Philadelphia City Council is taking the first steps toward approving the newly proposed Sixers arena.
Councilmembers passed the first of two resolutions related to the arena, which would allow building the area on city-owned land.
However, five councilmembers voted “no” after receiving a letter from the No Arena Coalition Thursday morning.
The letter asked the council to postpone any voting on arena-related legislation until after public hearings on the project are concluded or that councilmembers vote “no.”
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Those public hearings are expected to start on November 12.
The letter also asked the council to use its authority to ask questions before leaving it up to Mayor Cherelle Parker for full approval.
Councilmembers Jamie Gauthier, Rue Landau, Nicolas O’Rourke, Kendra Brooks and Jeff Young Jr. all voted “no.”
“Today's vote should not be mistaken as opposition to the proposed 76ers arena. Councilmember Gauthier maintains that she will decide whether to support or oppose the arena after council's hearings,” a spokesperson for Gauthier said in a statement to NBC10. “Councilmember Gauthier has several outstanding questions that she needs answers to, especially about the inadequate CBA and EOP. Until she has answers to these questions, she cannot vote in support of anything that moves the proposed arena forward, even if it is procedural. This is not a process that should be rushed.”
This all comes after a chaotic scene at a city council meeting when the arena legislation was introduced and the meeting was disrupted by protesters who oppose the arena.
