The Philadelphia 76ers’ battle to commence the 76 Place project continues. With the legislative council delaying the project’s approval, another city tries to lure the Sixers out of jurisdiction, leaving the franchise with no option. Also, the intentions of the owner of the Wells Fargo arena put the Sixers in a tighter corner. What could be the fate of the Sixers’ new arena dream?
Why the Sixers Plan To Move
The Philadelphia 76ers aspired to move from Wells Fargo to a different location because the Sixers franchise wanted autonomy. Also, the Sixers are tenants at Wells Fargo and plan to unveil their new stadium in the 2031-32 season. However, the progress on building this stadium is slow as the franchise announced this project two years ago.
With this delay, New Jersey proposed an irresistible offer to the Philadelphia 76ers to offer a building space. Interestingly, the upside of this offer is that the Sixers can commence their building project immediately when the deal’s done.
Factors That Hindered Philadelphia 76ers’ Project
The Sixers’ new arena, called ‘76 Place’ would be near Chinatown between Market and Filbert and 10th and 11th, replacing part of the Fashion District. The Chinatown community was resistant to the Sixers building 76 Place as it wasn’t favorable for them culturally. The cultural impact of 76 Place near Chinatown is that it could affect the community’s core identity and significance.
Though the new arena wouldn’t lead to displacement of residences, it could affect small businesses. In other words, most small businesses would experience displacement. According to the Inquirer, Vivian Chang, the executive director of Asian Americans United, expressed that “the Sixers bankrolled these studies and failed to disclose that fact from the jump, which says everything you need to know about their credibility.” Also, Vivian Chang posed that the paperwork is “unserious and flawed” because of its “failure to calculate the financial cost of the arena to Chinatown, other neighborhoods, and existing businesses.”
However, the economic impact reveals that there would be 710 job opportunities in the area. Also, the erection of 76 Place would influence 1.9 billion dollars in direct spending and 390 million dollars in tax revenue. According to the Inquirer, Councilmember Mark Squilla spoke positively about the economic impact of the project. However, Squilla wants to get feedback from stakeholders after the studies become public and draft legislation is available.
Other Feasible Options For 76ers Place
As said earlier, the Philadelphia 76ers could move to New Jersey and commence their project due to a delay in approval. Therefore instead of moving downtown from the south, the new Sixers arena could be outside Philadelphia. The Philly fans aren’t in support of this move. However, if the Sixers insist on building a new arena downtown and the resistance is rigid, the franchise could consider New Jersey’s offer.
Thus, if the franchise considers New Jersey’s offer, the Philadelphia 76ers could become the New Jersey 76ers. Also, what makes New Jersey an option for the Sixers is the CEO and chairman of Comcast Spectacor, Daniel Hilferty. Hilferty intends to use the Fashion District to build a biomedical hub. Therefore this intention deters the Philly franchise from moving from South Philadelphia. According to Daniel Hilferty:
“We felt a responsibility to share an alternative solution that creates benefits for all community members and enhances Philadelphia’s vibrant downtown.”
Final Thoughts
The Sixers moving out of Philadelphia is a bold action from the franchise. After sharing so much history in Philadelphia, moving out could be a loss for the franchise in the long run. Interestingly, the Mayor promised to keep the Sixers in Philly; thus, let’s see how this plays out.
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