Mayor Cherelle Parker recently confirmed her decision to move forward with the plans to build a new 76ers arena in Center City. “Hundreds and hundreds of jobs for Philadelphians…hundreds of millions of dollars in new tax revenues for our city of Philadelphia and our school district,” said Mayor Cherelle Parker, in a video she posted on X. These are just a couple of the alleged perks of a proposed new Philadelphia 76ers arena in Center City. Asian American activists, local Philadelphians and healthcare workers at Jefferson Health push back in a battle of narratives over the fate of Center City.
As things currently stand, the Philadelphia NBA basketball team does not have its own space in the stadium district south of the city. They must rent out Wells Fargo Center from the Flyers, Philadelphia’s hockey team–much to the chagrin of the billionaire owner of the 76ers, Josh Harris. Harris has long looked for a chance to get a specific 76ers venue and has made passive-aggressive moves such as including the name of the arena on the court in the smallest possible typeface. Both Camden, N.J. and Wilmington, Del. have attempted to lure the team cross-state with ambitious plans and tax credits–$400 million for the Camden proposal, according to AP News. But, some fans want the arena to stay in the city, and Harris has set his eyes on an area in Center City where a failing mall and connective public transportation system lie. Supporters say that this will bring a boost to the economy in the area, revitalizing Market East which has withered in recent years.
Not everyone is excited about this proposal. Opponents see the issue not as an economic boost, but rather one of gentrification, as the arena proposal lies directly on the border of Chinatown and seems poised to raise rents for its longtime Asian population. Activists in Chinatown are experiencing deja vu after fighting off a similar proposal for a Phillies arena in the early 2000s which would have destroyed 200 homes. The arena also lies near the iconic Gayborhood, and activist Jackson Morgan fears that the arena could destroy the neighborhood’s culture .“It would make Center City virtually unlivable for hours at a time” Morgan said. This would be due to traffic from games and concerts.
The foresighted traffic issue does not only threaten local culture but also could be a major problem for emergencies, healthcare workers say. PBS tells the story of medical student Pari Pencholy. “My hospital already struggles to get folks into the emergency bay. Just being close to Market Street, traffic and congestion from an arena will make it much harder. It’s not just patients who need to reach us quickly. It’s transplanted organs for someone getting a second chance, it’s blood for someone in surgery,” Pencholy said.
Local opinion does not appear on the side of the arena. Defector, a sports blog, reports that a recent poll found city residents were opposed to the arena in Center City three-to-one–and following for and against arguments, the numbers rose to more than four-to-one.
Meanwhile, Harris has attempted to soothe public concerns by promising no public funds will be used to pay for the arena and including a $50 million investment in community benefits. Neil deMause, writing on Defector, says the list includes funding for public transit to the arena, afterschool programs and a $6.35 million investment in Chinatown. However, Chinatown community leaders such as Mary Yee, founder of Philly Asian Americans United, are not impressed by the gesture. “There is no way $6.35 million over the life of the project could do anything to mitigate the serious economic, transportation, environmental and socio-cultural impacts of the proposed arena,” Yee says. deMause says most of the $50 million would not arrive until 2031.
Eastern students from Philly are wrestling with the decision. Ella Curcuruto, a senior English literature major, is from Germantown and works at a coffee shop near Market Street. She fears the impact of the stadium on her coffee shop. “If you put a stadium there, we’re going to be overcrowded and busy all the time… It’s not very sustainable in terms of the community aspect,” Curcuruto said. One of the major reasons for the arena, she explains, is to revitalize the Market district–but people in charge are going about it in the wrong way. “They’re trying to be Times Square, and Philly is just not New York… They’re just putting coats of paint on top of something that’s broken without actually caring about the community,” Curcucuto said. The way Curcuruto sees the matter, it is not an urgent need for the 76ers to move. “People in charge seem to be the only ones who want it… I think the most frustrating thing is there isn’t even a conversation between people in charge and people in the neighborhood… It seems like no one’s listening and no one cares,” Curcuruto said. Countless protests organized by the Save Chinatown Coalition in the past two years have done little to change this. Only time will tell if public outcry will stop the building of the arena or if officials will push it through for its proposed benefits.
Mayor Parker has tried to challenge the narrative that no one is listening. “To the good people of Chinatown, please hear me. I see you, I listened to you. I want your rich and vibrant community and proud history to not just survive, but to thrive,” Parker in the video posted to X, said. Her message aimed at addressing the concerns of the population there, but it remains to be seen how Parker will go about this. This is especially apparent following an impact study reported by CBS that found half of Chinatown’s small businesses would be negatively impacted. The arena must still go through the city council, though it has the financial backing and mayoral support necessary. Only time will tell if public outcry will stop the building of the arena or if officials will push it through for its proposed benefits.
Sources: AP News, X, Defector, PBS, CBS
Grace Nealy 
Jason Karch 
Lenora Kirkland