The $1.3 billion dollar proposal to bring a new arena for the Philadelphia 76ers to Center City is making its way through City Hall.
And, even as City Council has ended a series of hearings to provide public input on the plan, residents from around the city gathered outside City Hall on Wednesday afternoon in an effort to make another appeal to legislators.
This time, residents from a coalition of groups from across the city, came to call for an increase in the $50 million that arena developers have offered in a community benefits agreement, or CBA, attached to the project.
“To be clear, we do not support this arena and no amount of money will offset the destruction of neighborhoods and local businesses," said Romana Lee-Akiyama of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation.
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The organization leaders of the groups that stood outside City Hall do not want the arena built at all but say if it happens, Philadelphia needs to financially benefit from the project.
In a statement released Wednesday, the Asian American Chamber of Commerce too joined in the call for an increase in funding for the CBA. They suggested that the agreement should include "a minimum" of $300 million.
“Your constituents want more money for repairs to public housing, for food, harm reduction, gun regulation, respectable minimum wage. None of these efforts can be achieved by allowing an arena that goes unused for 200 or more days a year to sit at 10th and Market Streets," said Katie Garth with Washington Sqaure West.
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"The data provided in the city's community impact study clearly estimates that nearly half of Chinatown's businesses will face negative impacts from the arena," officials with the chamber of commerce said in a statement.
The group claimed the developer will avoid having to pay property taxes, meaning city residents as a whole may not benefit from that tax revenue.
"As such, the Chamber supports the proposal made by At-Large Councilmembers Kendra Brooks and Nicolas O’Rourke, which advocates for a minimum $300M CBA amount," the group said.
Councilmembers suggested the $300 million figure recently. Though, at a meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, developers of the proposed arena said that figure was too large a sum for them to agree on.
Though, they did say they were open to negotiating and potentially increasing that $50 million figure in the CBA.
The Community Benefits Agreement is a contract between community groups and a developer that includes commitments the developer will make to the neighborhood, in exchange for the community’s support.
The city said the money from the CBA in the proposed Sixers arena will partially go towards community programs like internships for youth small businesses.
A rough outline of what the $50 million will be used for according to Mayor Parker is: $23 million for citywide services including for the arena, small businesses and public education; and $21 million for preserving housing and history in Chinatown. What the rest of the money would be used for hasn't been announced.
“We will do it making sure we bring life to market and that Chinatown not only survives but thrives," Mayor Parker said.
Many at the meeting on Tuesday were not in favor of the current CBA price.
“This one seems to have been designed from the start, to fail. It’s inadequate," David Browlee from the Design Advocacy Group said at Tuesday's meeting.
Wednesday night, the mayor is holding another community meeting at 5:30 p.m. at the Rock Ministries of Philadelphia located at 2755 Kensington Ave.
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