More than two years after the owners of the Philadelphia 76ers first proposed building a basketball arena just blocks from City Hall, it is now crunchtime for a bitterly divisive $1.3 billion project that would alter the look and flow of the city’s downtown.
Over the last few weeks, community groups, labor leaders and business owners have testified before the City Council, making impassioned arguments for or against the project.
Supporters say the arena would generate thousands of construction jobs, particularly for Black and Hispanic residents, and serve as a gleaming magnet for the Center City neighborhood. But critics, citing a litany of misguided stadium deals around the country, warn the arena would decimate the city’s storied but fragile Chinatown.
The last hearing on the project is scheduled for Tuesday, and a vote is expected by Dec. 19. If a majority of the 17-member Council says yes, as many anticipate, then the project would be in the hands of Mayor Cherelle Parker, who has been a strong supporter and who would be approving a signature accomplishment in her first year in office.