Philadelphia City Council advances bills on 76ers arena; final vote could be held next week

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A new arena for the Philadelphia 76ers could be approved as soon as next week after a series of bills were advanced in City Council on Thursday.

A council committee passed the bills for 76 Place shortly before 10 a.m. By midday Thursday the bills had also passed a first reading before the full council.

The bills are now set to be brought up for a second reading and final approval at the next council meeting on Dec. 19.

One of the most notable changes is an increase to the Community Benefit Agreement or CBA.

The city and the Sixers have agreed on $60 million for the CBA. That's the amount of money the team will give the city over 30 years for various initiatives.

The team's original offer was $50 million, and the city asked for $100 million. Negotiations brought that number down overnight.

The money includes $5 million for a business disruption fund that would help impacted businesses in the proposed Center City location, including those in nearby Chinatown.

"We want to fight for the preservation of Chinatown and that's why we fought to get more in the Community Benefit Agreement. But at the end of the day there's a whole city that needs this arena, and we did what we thought was best for the city," said Councilman Curtis Jones Jr., who voted to approve the arena.

Councilwoman Jamie Gauthier was among four members who voted against it. She said support for resources such as a community land trust and a legacy business program were stripped out.

"I don't understand why we would prioritize a flashy new arena over a special cultural asset that means so much to so many like Chinatown," Gauthier said.

Protestors say the deal amounts to the destruction of Chinatown.

"What happened at city council was a disgrace, was a disappointment, was a betrayal. It was a bad deal," said Chinatown business owner Xu Lin. "Stadiums will only make billionaires richer. If stadiums made sense for the people we would not be the poorest city in America."

Opponents say they'll continue to protest at the meetings and are even considering legal action.