City Council hearings on the 76ers proposed Center City arena – which has drawn strong opposition from activists in Chinatown – are set to begin this week.
Representatives from Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration and the NBA team are scheduled to testify and take questions from lawmakers Tuesday and Wednesday, kicking off a series of meetings on the projects over the next three weeks.
Time is also being reserved for public feedback, including two evening sessions, in a process that resembles how Council handles its yearly budget hearings.
Council President Kenyatta Johnson, in a statement, said lawmakers wanted to make sure there was “a significant number of opportunities for individuals who are pro or con on this project to speak and address their concerns.”
The planned $1.3 billion arena, known as 76 Place at Market East, would seat 18,500 spectators and occupy a section of the current Fashion District mall in an area bounded by Market, Filbert, 10th and 11th streets.
Mark Squilla, the Council member who represents the site, began the legislative process Oct. 24, when he introduced 11 bills and two resolutions that would authorize the project to move forward. An anti-arena group briefly interrupted the meeting by unfurling banners and breaking into chants.
Lawmakers approved the resolutions, which are procedural and permit the other proposed changes to be considered, in an 11-5 vote on Oct. 31.
Much of the legislation provides zoning alterations and agreements to facilitate the project and mirrors the bills and resolutions transmitted by Mayor Cherelle Parker’s office after she signaled support for 76 Place in September.
Squilla added a special services district, which would be funded by the 76ers and provide support to residents and business owners in the area. In conjunction with the organization, a committee would oversee traffic management and develop a periodic report to ease congestion.
He also introduced a Chinatown-specific zoning overlay. While exact details on that proposal are not yet included in the text of the legislation, Squilla has said it would be aimed at promoting affordable housing and helping small businesses.
Squilla has promised further legislation in the near future to create a Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, zone. The TIF would direct increases in tax revenue generated in Chinatown back into the neighborhood, instead of into the city’s General Fund.
76ers leaders have also agreed to a $50 million community benefits agreement and an economic opportunity plan, both of which were negotiated by the Parker administration and outlined in September.
All of the bills are being considered by the Committee of the Whole, which includes every Council member. Should the legislation advance, it would be considered for a first reading at the body’s weekly Thursday meetings prior to a final vote, likely at the following week’s session.
The hearings are scheduled to wrap up Dec. 3, ahead of Council’s final two sessions of the year. Team officials have said the legislative package must be approved by the end of December in order to begin demolition in 2026 and open the arena in 2031.
City officials are due to testify Tuesday (from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), followed by 76ers representatives Wednesday (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
Sessions reserved for public testimony are scheduled Nov. 19 (1:30 to 4 p.m.), Nov. 20 (10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.), Nov. 21 (6 to 9 p.m.), Nov. 26 (1:30 to 4 p.m.), and Dec. 2 (6 to 9 p.m).
Residents who want to testify can register by calling 215-686-3407 or emailing arena.hearings@phila.gov with their name, telephone number and date they wish to speak by 3 p.m. the day before the hearing. Members of the public can also sign up in-person at Room 400, City Hall on the day of the committee meeting.
All Council hearings are open to the public and broadcast on Xfinity Channel 64, Fios Channel 40, and PHLCouncil.com/watch.
For more information, go to phlcouncil.com/arena-info.
