The Philadelphia 76ers have abandoned the plans to build a new stadium on Market Street, near Chinatown, and instead have negotiated with Comcast Spectacor to build a new arena in South Philadelphia and revamp the whole stadium district in the same area.
The Philadelphia 76ers have abandoned the plans to build a new stadium on Market Street, near Chinatown, and instead have negotiated with Comcast Spectacor to build a new arena in South Philadelphia and revamp the whole stadium district in the same area.
The decision comes just weeks after the city of Philadelphia finally voted to approve the new downtown arena. The vote was met with opposition from residents every step of the way, with protestors being removed and arrested even at the final vote. That plan called for a $1.3 billion arena, including the team funding low-income housing and other tax incentives.
Now, according to NBC Philadelphia, city council members say they feel, “completely bamboozled.”
“I'm not going to forget this... I feel they not only bamboozled me but bamboozled the citizens of Philadelphia and I’m not going to forget that,” said Jim Harrity, Philadelphia City Councilmember at-large.
Related: Protestors Arrested as Philadelphia City Council Approves New 76ers Arena
Philadelphia council member Kendra Brooks said, “We didn’t think that this was a good deal from the beginning, both Nicolas O’Rourke and I. As minority leaders, we both said that we were gonna go with the side of the people.” Brooks continued, “I’m interested to know the details behind what happened. We spent a lot of time and effort and resources on hearings that lasted through the end of the year that could have been spent toward other issues that we’ve been focusing on. So, I’d really like to know the details and what’s next.”
While city council members scratch their heads over the turn of events, the No Arena Coalition celebrates. The group formed in opposition to the Center City Arena plan is made up primarily of Chinatown residents.
“We’re relieved to hear that the nightmare of a Center City Sixers arena will not haunt our city any more. To every Philadelphian who called, marched, testified, and warned City Hall that this was a raw deal: This win belongs to you, and the lesson for politicians is to trust the people. To the five council members who stood on the right side of this fight: We will not forget,” wrote a spokesperson for the No Arena Coalition.
No timeline or details have been released for the stadium district and arena projects in South Philly.
