City Council hears public input on 76ers Center City arena plan

Philadelphia residents have no shortage of opinions on the controversial plan to bring a $1.3 billion arena to Center City.

And, on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, for the first time council heard from the public on the plan since the package of bills that would clear the way for the arena's construction were proposed back in October -- not counting the chorus of jeers from the audiance that delayed that meeting when the bills were introduced.

The hearing began at 10 a.m. at City Hall and during the morning session, council heard from a number of activists and organizers with the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, Asian Americans United, the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, SEPTA officials and others.

In testimony before council, Harry Leong, center director of the Chinese Christian Church and Center in Philadelphia, said he was worried the arena, if built, could push members of the community out of the Chinatown neighborhood that they call home.

"The fear that I have is the gentrification of the community, particularly businesses closing and residents moving out because of that," he said.

John Chin. executive director of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, in a statement that drew a round of applause from the gathered crowd on Tuesday, said the plan to bring the arena to Center City as a way to revitalize the city's Market Street East community isn't as clear as he'd like it to be.

"We know that there has been complaints from the neighbors, institutions, hotels and conventions that come to Market Street East that it's blighted, it's a nuisance, and there's a huge problem where there's homeless people [who] aren't getting assistance to get housed. There's a huge problem with panhandling. And visitors, we've seen from surveys, are sometimes afraid of conditions on Market Street East," Chin said. "Well, if we bring the arena to this location, I have not seen any plan that addresses how you're going to address the people who need help, how to eliminate the blight, how to improve the conditions of Market Street. All I've heard is 'We will bring the arena here and that's going to turn Market Street around.' That's not good enough."

As the meeting continued, a panel of real estate experts and urban studies joined the discussion, offering input into the plan and its possible impact it could have on the city.

In taking time to testify before City Council, Domenic Vitiello, an assistant professor of city planning and urban studies at the University of Pennsylvania, said the arena may not have the impact that the developers intend.

"In reality, arenas are a bad form of economic development, especially for downtowns," he told councilmembers. "This is a bad deal in so many ways."

Vitiello argued that the arena would do damage, not provide growth, to the areas that surround it, claiming that any time there isn't a game the arena would be a "dead zone."

This wouldn't provide the regular foot traffic that small businesses rely on, he said.

In fact, Vitiello argued that though other cites claim they have downtown arenas, they actually keep these arenas on the edges of their downtown communities in an effort to mitigate increased traffic, parking concerns and other issues.

"Other cities have been really wise to keep arenas out of the heart of downtown," said Vitiello.

Later in the day, councilmembers opened the meeting up to allow members of the public to provide testimony on the plan.

First to the microphone when the meeting resumed, Daisy Cruz, district director for SEIU 32BJ, a service workers union, said that her union supports the construction plan and appreciates that the arena is intended to be built without the use of taxpayer funds.

"A project of this magnitude will be a powerful job creator that the working-class of Philadelphia desperately needs," Cruz said. "We cannot let this opportunity go anywhere else."

In a comment that drew a round of applause from those in attendance, Elaine McGuire, a member of the IBEW Local 98 electrical workers union, urged city councilmembers to support the arena development, saying it would bring foot traffic to that area.

"We could bring Center City back, alive again like it used to be," she said to a cheering crowd. "That's why we need to build 76 Place!"

This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as the meeting unfolds on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024.

Upcoming hearings on the arena plan

There will be at least two additional hearings to allow members of the public to provide testimony on the area plan to City Council.

Officials said that there will be portions of hearings on Nov. 20 and 26 that will include public testimony and there will be entire hearings on Nov. 21, 2024 and Dec. 2, 2024 that will be reserved for public testimony, as well.

City Council is hearing testimony on a package of bills -- all submitted by City Councilmember Mark Squilla (D-1st dist.) -- that relate to the proposal to construct a $1.3 billion arena to Center City, between Market and Filbert streets at 10th and 11th streets.

Many in the communities closest to the proposed site of the arena have long opposed the plan.

Also, City Council has also created a website to provide additional information on the ongoing Sixers arena deliberations. It's here: https://phlcouncil.com/arena-info/.

City officials said the website also gives the public information on how to sign up to testify and give public comments during the upcoming arena hearings.

Overall, City Council is expected to host a total of eight days of hearings throughout the month of November and into early December on the proposed 76ers arena.

How to sign up to testify

Members of the public who would like to testify at upcoming hearings can sign up by phone or email.

If you would like to testify at an upcoming hearing, call the Chief Clerk’s Office at 215-686-3407 or email at arena.hearings@phila.gov by 3 p.m. the day before they want to testify and submit the following information:

• Full name
• Telephone Number
• Identify the bill number or resolution number or numbers that will be addressed.
• Specify which date you want to testify.

Speakers who submit the above information will be placed on a list to testify at the specific hearing they have selected, officials said.

Anyone can also come to the Nov. 20, 21, 26 and Dec. 2 public comment sessions inside Room 400, on the fourth floor of City Hall and sign up and testify at that day’s hearing.

If anyone needs translation services during the Sixers Arena hearings, contact the Chief Clerk’s Office at 215-686-3407 or arena.hearings@phila.gov.