Philadelphia 76ers reportedly backtracking, won’t build $1.3B downtown stadium

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – The Philadelphia 76ers have decided not to build a $1.3 billion downtown stadium, a surprise move that comes just weeks after the team won approval for the controversial project from the city council.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Sunday that many council members confirmed the change in plans. The team has struck a deal with Comcast Spectacor to occupy the city’s sports complex, the newspaper said, but further details about the new proposal have not been released.

The 76ers, the mayor’s office and Comcast Spectator — which owns the Wells Fargo Center, where the team currently plays — did not respond Sunday to requests for comment. The team leases the arena from Comcast Spectacor, which also owns the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers, who also play there.

The council voted Dec. 19 to approve the downtown arena after more than two years of heated debate over the proposal, and the NBA team’s owners had hoped to move into what would be 76 Place by 2031. he came despite vocal opposition from nearby Chinatown residents and other activists.

“I’m in hiding right now and I don’t even know what to do,” said Jimmy Harrity, an at-large council member, told the newspaper. Harrity, who supported the group’s move, said, “I feel like I’ve been used as collateral.

Mayor Cherelle Parker, a Democrat who sponsored the plan, said the entire city would benefit from what she called “a historic economic development project.” Supporters hoped the 18,500-seat stadium would help revitalize the depressed retail corridor called Market East, which runs from City Hall to the Liberty Bell. The area has been struggling for years despite many efforts to improve it.

The team’s owners, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, had pushed for city approval by the end of the year so they could meet their opening date. They had vowed not to ask the city for any construction money, although they were free to seek state and federal funds. Instead of property taxes, they would pay about $6 million in annual fees in lieu of taxes.

Opponents fear the stadium will bring gridlock on game days as well as increased fees and increased taxes for the area.

The Chinatown community has fought a series of proposed developments since the 1960s, including casinos, a prison, a baseball stadium and a freeway, the latter of which destroyed the area when it opened in 1991.