The 76ers’ effort to build a Center City arena cleared a major hurdle Thursday, as City Council passed legislation approving the controversial $1.3 billion project.
The final vote came after anti-arena demonstrators delayed the start of the meeting by locking arms and occupying the floor of the Council chambers. They donned red shirts and shouted “Council sellout,” as security ushered lawmakers out of the room.
Sheriff’s officers dragged individuals out of the cluster. Law enforcement handcuffed the protesters one-by-one and wrestled a few to the ground. At least one person was picked up off their feet by a pair of officers.
Later, chanting could be heard from a passing Sheriff’s Office bus outside City Hall, according to a video posted on social media by Crossing Broad, a local sports blog.
Nearly all of the 11 arena bills passed with a 12-5 vote, which was expected, based on a preliminary tally last week and the number of lawmakers who had publicly opposed the arena.
“Today’s vote was an utter disgrace, as Council bowed to billionaires, defied the will of the people, and voted through a toxic deal,” the No Arena Coalition, which has been organizing opposition, said in a statement. “These Councilmembers didn’t roll out the red carpet, they became the red carpet that billionaire developers walked all over.”
“We have more in our playbook to kill this deal, and the fight continues in 2025,” the group added.
Unlike professional sports teams seeking previous stadiums in Philadelphia, and in many other cities around the country, the 76ers are not asking for the municipal government to directly fund any of the construction costs, Council President Kenyatta Johnson noted.
“If we would have turned down this particular deal, we would have been fools,” he said.
Most of the activism has focused on potential detrimental impacts to Chinatown, the city’s historic Asian American hub, but Johnson said Thursday that he believes the neighborhood “made out good on this deal.”
Councilmember Mark Squilla, whose district includes the planned arena site, told reporters he believes the fierce activism improved the legislation and helped get more resources for the surrounding community.
“I don’t think they lost,” he said. “They may not have gotten the end goal of not getting the arena, but we, as Council, listened. We put protections in place. Maybe it wasn’t enough for a lot of people.”
Thursday’s vote was a victory for first-year Mayor Cherelle Parker, who has been championing the project since announcing her support for it in September.
In a news conference Thursday afternoon, following the Council session, Parker quipped that she would soon be calling New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who had reportedly been attempting to lure the team to Camden.
Parker said the economic benefits of the arena extend beyond the $60 million community benefits agreement, which became a significant talking point in discussions between lawmakers and the 76ers.
“Do you know that we are about to put the next generation of skilled workers to work right here?” she said. “You can’t train for those opportunities without projects.”
Construction union leaders, among the arena’s most vocal supporters, cheered Council’s decision, with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98 Business Manager Mark Lynch Jr. characterizing it as a “wonderful early Christmas present” for the city.
Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which owns the 76ers, has proposed constructing the 18,500-seat arena on the edge of Chinatown, with a main entrance on Market Street. The venue would replace a section of the current Fashion District mall between 10th and 11th streets and sit atop SEPTA’s Jefferson Station.
Demolition is scheduled to begin in 2026, and HBSE wants to open the arena, known for now as 76 Place at Market East, in time for the 2031-32 NBA season, when the team’s lease expires at the Wells Fargo Center. The South Philadelphia arena is controlled by Comcast Spectacor, which also owns the Flyers.
David Adelman, 76ers part-owner and chair of the arena development team, called the legislation’s passage a “critical milestone.” HBSE officials had stressed the need for Council approval prior to the end of the year in order for the project to remain on track.
“Although a lot of work has been done to get here, we know there is much more to do,” Adelman said in a statement. “We look forward to pursuing the remaining approvals to make 76Place a reality.”
Squilla said he considers Thursday “just a halfway point.”
“We still have work to continue to do. We’re still going to have an open dialogue with the stakeholders involved in the process,” he added. “If we need to introduce additional legislation for some additional concerns that we find out afterwards, we’d be willing to do that, or work in the budget process to make it happen.”
