On Jan. 13, Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment, owners of the Philadelphia 76ers, and Comcast Spectacor revealed their 50-50 venture to have the NBA team remain in South Philadelphia, solidifying a partnership after much effort to close in on a deal.
According to NBC10, Ryan Boyer, president of the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, announced that the team intends to demolish the Wells Fargo Center and will eventually build a new area in South Philadelphia for the 76ers and the Flyers.
76ers coach Nick Nurse mentioned a “state-of the art facility” that promises to be “super exciting.”
In addition to the arena deal, Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment and Comcast, who still have ownership over the properties on Market East Street, released in a statement that “the partnership will…invest in the revitalization of Market East in Center City.”
With their lease on the Wells Fargo Center set to expire in 2031, the Philadelphia 76ers have been racing towards a new arena deal since the start of the decade. This years-long conversation surrounding the 76ers’ plan for a new arena has experienced numerous developments that have marked enormous shifts in the priorities and goals of all parties involved.
Previously on Dec. 19, 2024, the Philadelphia City Council voted 12-5 in favor of constructing a new arena called “76 Place” in Center City. This $1.3 billion project, also being backed by Mayor Cherelle Parker, appeared to be a done deal. The project was set to open in 2031 in the block between 10th and 11th Street at Market and Filbert Street, where a portion of the Fashion District mall currently resides. The city’s drive for this arena to be built in Center City has been active since 2022, and many in support of the proposed arena celebrated in response to what they believed to be the end of the efforts.
In September of 2024, Mayor Cherelle Parker revealed details of the former agreement with the Sixers, in which the city’s economic plan and the redevelopment of the proposed area was discussed. Despite the assets this new stadium was expected to bring, including a supposed $700 million in tax revenue and thousands of jobs in construction and operation, Philadelphia’s Chinatown fought back against the new proposed development.
Many stated the breakdown of a tight-knit Chinatown and loss of cultural identity as key reasons not to implement a new arena in Market Street East. Concerns about traffic blocking, increased rent, displacing key businesses, gentrification, increasing crime rates and safety regarding limited access to Jefferson Hospital during events were also raised.
As the city was caught by surprise, students from the Drexel community shared their initial reactions.
Adhi Gadre, a second-year biological sciences major and self-proclaimed 76ers fan, went to his first Sixers game recently, but he has “been to Wells Fargo many times before because of concerts and other things.”
Living very close to Philadelphia, he spoke of common experiences of taking “the train into Philadelphia and [knowing] exactly where everyone’s going on the train. Everyone’s in their sports gear.”
Gadre affirmed that he favored an arena in South Philadelphia and commented that “It would be such a shame to have to tear down such historic and important buildings to build a sports arena when we already have such a special place,” and that since Drexel students live in Philadelphia, they would inherently be affected by the loss of culture.
As for Claire Brown, a fourth-year English student, she also believes “the South Philly arena is the way to go.”
Brown mentioned parallels to Washington DC, as she expressed her criticism towards the Center City arena prospect, saying, “I’ve always been opposed to the arena because I come from Northern Virginia and growing up I would go to DC all the time. And DC Chinatown is tiny. And right smack in the middle of DC Chinatown is a massive basketball stadium. It’s completely choked the district.”
Echoing the course of events from the past several days in Philadelphia, she later referred to “the company that built the arena in the center of Washington DC. Another company comes in and says ‘Hey, we’re gonna build an area in Northern Virginia.’…$515 million of funding are raised for this deal. Then, reversed. They’re staying in DC. Same exact thing.”
Reactions to the news also included notable and direct statements from city council members.
Kendra Brooks and Nicolas O’Rourke, members of the Working Families Party, issued a statement saying, “We knew this deal was bad from the beginning. Anybody following this issue closely could clearly see this was a power struggle between billionaires and corporations.”
Both among the five council members who voted against a Center City arena, Brooks and O’Rourke added, “Their plans can change on a whim, and these latest developments are a clear example of why the Mayor and City Council should never waste precious time and resources prioritizing billionaire projects over the work Philadelphians elect us to do.”
Prior supporter of the Market Street East arena, City Councilmember At-Large Jim Harrity stated “I’m so livid right now I don’t even know what to do…I feel as though I was used as a pawn.”
Contrarily, Councilmember Mark Squilla told the Inquirer “I’m OK being used in that process. This might end up actually being the best-case scenario.”
Pushing the conversation forward without any remaining prospect of the presence of the 76ers in Center City, Squilla asserted,“We can reimagine Market Street without an arena, have people committed to investing in it and still have a new arena in South Philly.”
On Tuesday Jan. 14, the day after the deal was struck, a City Council Press Conference focused on the new developments between the managers of the 76ers and Comcast. Many familiar faces were welcomed to the podium to discuss the new deal.
Mayor Cherelle Parker made her present intentions clear towards the beginning of the meeting: “The revitalization of our historic East Market commercial quarter is essential. The building of a new state-of-the-art arena for the Sixers is essential.”
She also introduced a new conversation point that alludes to further future collaboration with Comcast, stating that “the potential for that WNBA team–it is essential.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver made a brief appearance through a video call displayed on a large computer screen and stated, “This new collaboration will result in real tangible benefits for the people of Philadelphia. Not just with the construction of a new arena, but immediately as the 76ers and Comcast are now partners in the current Wells Fargo Center.”
David Adelman, a limited partner with HBSE, proclaimed that “The plans have changed” but that “the one thing that has not changed is our commitment to do something for the Sixers, our fans, and most importantly our city.”
Brian Roberts, the CEO of Comcast appeared ready to work with the 76ers as he spoke about how “we thought the timing should be a little later, but over the next 30, 40 years, many decades, it doesn’t matter when we start, we’re willing to do it now. We can do bigger, better, faster.”
When the speakers stood behind the podium in City Hall, little was said regarding those who were consistently opposed to the arena being built in Center City.
Kenyatta Johnson, council president and 2nd district representative mentioned, “When you talk about the displacement of those who live in Chinatown, that was a concern that individuals had. When you talk about the impact of this particular arena project on SEPTA. But this deal shows, at the end of the day, we always need to make sure that we are working toward moving the city of Philadelphia forward. And so for me, I feel good…”.
Just down the street from City Hall in front of the Chinatown Arch, Mohan Seshadri, the executive director of the Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance and founder and co-chair of the Asian American Power Network, spoke at the No Arena Coalition press conference on Tuesday.
Standing right alongside many who have opposed an arena in Center City for years, he said, “We are so proud and so happy, we’re so relieved and heartened that there will not be an arena in the heart of our city… and relieved that Chinatown, a 150 year-old community will continue to stand strong. But let’s be clear, it didn’t have to be like this. None of this had to be like this.”
“When we said two and a half years ago that this arena was the wrong site, the wrong location for a project like this, that it was going to destroy Chinatown, that it was going to threaten access to Jefferson’s ER, when it was going to impact SEPTA to the tune of $25 to $50 million a year, when we did research, when we did press conferences, when we did rallies and marches, when we organized our hearts out, when our elders and our young people took a rest in City Council and City Hall, we were told throughout the entire last two years, ‘Give up,’ ‘Shut up,’ ‘Go away,’” Seshadri continued. “And we’re still here. And our community is still here. And our movement is still here.”
Another prominent speaker outside the arch was Harry Leong, the president of the Philadelphia Suns, whose website states their primary goal as “to promote, organize, and support athletic, cultural, recreational, and educational opportunities for anyone who wishes to participate,” with a significant focus on the needs of children.
Leong stated, “The billionaires got the best out of this bargain. They got their arena in South Philly. They also have the land, they’re set to take over the land here, so they have the real estate.”
“So that’s the battle that we face, and as Mohan said, we have a difficult challenge. We need to change the narrative in this city. We need to care for our city and do the right thing,” Leong confronted the crowd. “This is a time to celebrate for us. But yet, we also have to have a cautious eye to look ahead, too, as well.”
Katie Garth, a local Philadelphia artist and educator who has stood beside the No Arena Coalition, made a brief appearance with a direct message: “The Sixers will stay in South Philly [and that] is a massive victory and a reason for us to celebrate. That it almost didn’t happen that way, and how it came to die, is a reminder that billionaires call the shots as long as our elected representatives allow them to, no matter how Mayor Parker tries to spin it.”
Commenting in direct response to Parker’s hinting of working with Comcast for a Philadelphia WNBA team, Garth said, “This was never a WNBA bid, this was a colossal waste of time and city resources.”