Philadelphia City Council hearings begin on proposed 76ers arena in Center City
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Members of Philadelphia City Council have some tough questions for people trying to bring a new 76ers arena to Center City.
Officials from Mayor Cherelle Parker's administration spent Tuesday fielding questions about the controversial proposal.
As they touted things like benefits to women and minority-owned businesses, others doubted whether the arena could truly deliver what it's promising to the community.
"The devil is in the details," said City Councilmember Curtis Jones (D - District 4).
Council members were seeking out those details on the proposed 76 Place in the hearing that lasted for about six hours.
They had a lot of questions about the proposed arena's economic impact and the Community Benefits Agreement that would be part of the deal. That agreement would provide millions of dollars to various areas of need in the city.
"We will leverage the CBA investments, a total of $21.6 million for Chinatown and adjacent communities," said Tiffany Thurman, Chief of Staff for the office of Mayor Cherelle Parker.
Parker has voiced her support for the arena.
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Administration officials tried to quell fears over issues like traffic and trash. They said the Sixers would be required to develop an event-day plan to keep traffic flowing.
They add that a study showed there would be no negative impact on the nearby Jefferson Health emergency room, a claim with which they say Jefferson Health agrees.
Administration officials also say the Sixers would cover the cost of cleaning up the area after events.
Opponents of the arena, though, say it would have a negative impact on nearby neighborhoods like Chinatown.
"I do not think that Chinatown can exist with the arena," said Seth Anderson-Oberman, executive director of Reclaim Philadelphia.
Reclaim Philadelphia held a protest outside City Hall just before the hearing got underway.
"This should not be on the agenda for city council right now," said Anderson-Oberman.
Tuesday's hearing was the first of seven hearings focused on the arena legislation, which was introduced last month by councilmember Mark Squilla who represents the area where the arena would be built.
"I think this is exactly what the legislative process is supposed to do. It's supposed to give the opportunity for councilmembers to grieve their concerns," said Squilla (D - District 1)
"This entire thing to me and others feels very half-baked," said Councilmember At-Large Nicolas O'Rourke of the Working Families Party.
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Councilmembers asked about issues like the traffic, with administration officials saying that, in order to be successful, about 40% of people who attend events would have to take public transportation.
"That would cost SEPTA $20 million to $25 million a year," said Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (D - District 3). "Nowhere in this legislation is it specified who's gonna (pay for) this."
"We will consider advocating with the state for support for SEPTA but also we want to push and make sure there's an agreement that's conducive for SEPTA and the Sixers," said Council President Kenyatta Johnson (D).
Councilmembers also had questions about claims the arena will be an economic boost in the Market East area.
"Between Macy's and that proposed stadium, there is close to 33% vacancies," said Councilmember Curtis Jones (D - District 4 )
Another important issue is preserving the culture and affordability of communities like Chinatown, as the controversial plan could be inching closer to a city council vote.
"Now it's time for my colleagues to ask those questions and we have to get those answers before a final vote will take place," said Squilla.
There's no timeline for when the issue could come up for a city council vote, but it is possible that it could be brought up before the council ends its session for holiday break.
On Wednesday, there will be another hearing where officials from the Sixers will answer questions from council. Officials with the mayor's administration will also return to answer questions that there wasn't time for during Tuesday's session.
Starting November 19, there will be five hearings that include public comment.
"While all hearings are open to the public to attend, testimony by members of the public is reserved for portions of the November 19, 20, and 26 hearings. The entirety of the November 21 and December 2 hearings are also reserved for public testimony," the city said in a press release.
Residents interested in following the progress of the legislation and opportunities for public comment can find more information here at Phila.gov.
