76ers win city council nod to build $1.3B stadium

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers won metropolis assembly support connected Thursday for a $1.3 cardinal downtown arena contempt vocal guidance from adjacent Chinatown residents and different activists.

Council voted 12-5 to o.k. the task astatine a packed gathering astatine City Hall. Owners of the NBA squad dream to move successful to 76 Place by 2031. However, opponents opportunity the conflict is acold from over.

Mayor Cherelle Parker, a Democrat who had championed the plan, said the full metropolis will use from what she called a "historic game-changing economical improvement project," according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Supporters dream the 18,500-seat arena tin thief revive a distressed unit corridor called Market East, which runs from City Hall to the Liberty Bell. The area has struggled for years contempt respective redevelopment efforts.

The squad owners, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, are eager to extremity their Wells Fargo Center lease pinch Comcast Spectacor successful South Philadelphia. They person pushed for metropolis support by year's extremity truthful they tin meet their target opening date.

They vowed not to inquire the metropolis for immoderate building funding, though they are free to activity authorities and national funds. Instead of spot taxes, they would salary astir $6 cardinal successful yearly Payments successful Lieu of Taxes.

Protesters who locked arms connected the assembly level and delayed the commencement of the Thursday's gathering said they would proceed their fight.

"The politician and City Council kowtowed to the billionaires' artificial timeline," said force Mohan Seshadri, a personnel of the No Arena Coalition who besides serves arsenic executive head of the Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance.

Opponents fearfulness the arena will bring gridlock connected crippled days - and spell acheronian astatine different times - and besides bring gentrification and rising rents to the area.

The Chinatown organization has fought a bid of projected developments since the 1960s, including casinos, a prison, a shot stadium and a highway, the past of which dissected the vicinity erstwhile it opened successful 1991.

Council members connected Thursday approved 11 bills that reside zoning changes, onshore transfers, nationalist information and different issues to accommodate the 76ers' plan.