Philadelphia mayor announces new plan to keep 76ers arena in South Philadelphia, pursue WNBA team
Share:
The Philadelphia 76ers will partner with Comcast Spectacor, their current landlord, to build a new arena in South Philadelphia and abandon a deal with the city to move downtown. The stunning reversal comes as a relief to critics of the plan to put a $1.3 billion arena near City Hall at the edge of Chinatown. Mayor Cherelle Parker on Monday called the proposal “a win, win, win, win for Philadelphia.".
“Philly, this is a lot. This is a curveball that none of us saw coming, but nevertheless, we are here,” Parker said at a midday news conference. However, some critics and city council members felt betrayed after two years of fraught negotiations over the downtown plan. City council member Jim Harrity told a news station he felt “completely bamboozled.”.
Parker was joined Monday by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who appeared remotely, and team and Comcast leaders who promised the new plan would bring vibrancy and a new vision to both locations. The parties also pledged to work with the city to try to bring a WNBA team to Philadelphia.
“Though plans have changed, the one thing that has not changed is our commitment to do something good for the Sixers, our fans and most importantly, our city,” said David Adelman, a partner in the 76ers ownership group, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment.
The city council had voted only weeks ago to approve the team's plan to open its proposed 76 Place downtown by 2031, despite opposition from residents of the city's nearby Chinatown and others. The team, which shares space with the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL in an arena owned by Comcast, had said it wanted to own its own facility when its lease expired.
