In a move that will likely stun many, the plan to bring a $1.3 billion arena to Market Street in Center City Philadelphia has been abandoned.
On Sunday, around noon, a union representative and city official confirmed with NBC10 that the team has worked out a new deal with Comcast Spectacor and has backpedaled on a plan that would have brought an arena to the area of the intersection of Market and Filbert streets at 10th and 11th streets.
Ryan Boyer, president of the Philadelphia Building & Construction Trades Council, told NBC10's Lauren Mayk that instead, the team plans to demolish Wells Fargo Center and will eventually build a new arena in South Philadelphia for the Sixers and Flyers.
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"We actually get more jobs," Boyer said. "For the building trades, this is good news."
In a statement released Sunday afternoon, officials with Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers also celebrated the decision, saying that the move will see the stadium district in South Philadelphia "enhanced and expanded."
“IBEW Local 98 and our partners in the Philadelphia Building Trades have worked diligently with the 76ers throughout this protracted process. This new agreement between the 76ers and Comcast is a significant win for the 76ers, Comcast, our members and the entire City of Philadelphia. The Stadium District in South Philadelphia will be dramatically enhanced and expanded, providing the 76ers with the new state-of-the-art arena the team needs and deserves," an IBEW representative said in a statement. "Comcast has also pledged to commit the financial resources needed to revive the dormant Market East corridor, which is critically important to the entire city. For IBEW Local 98 and the Trades, a $1.3 billion project just turned into a multi-billion development that will create a stunning new stadium district that will keep our members working for decades.”
However, Philadelphia City Councilmember at-large, Jim Harrity, said he was disappointed in the surprise move. In fact, he said, he felt "bamboozled."
"I feel completely bamboozled,” Harrity said. "I'm not going to forget this... I feel they not only bamboozled me but bamboozled the citizens of Philadelphia and I’m not going to forget that.”
Harrity said he is upset that the city's schools won't get the promised money from taxes the new arena would bring.
The plan had been approved by Philadelphia's City Council late last year.
The plan had long been a contentious one, with many residents in communities closest to the project site protesting against it since it was initially proposed.
In the late months of last year, in the run up to a City Council vote on the project, city officials -- including Mayor Cherelle Parker -- met with members of the community all across the city to determine the future of the project.
Before City Council eventually approved the plan on Dec. 19, 2024, a main issue with the project was just how much funding would be included in the community benefits agreement. Initially, developers proposed a $50 million agreement, but residents closest to the project called for more -- as much as $300 million.
Eventually, City Council approved the plan with a $60 million community benefits agreement.
Developers had planned to begin development this year and open the arena in 2031.
The specifics of the deal that led to the decision to stay in South Philadelphia have not yet been provided by officials.
But, according to a source with information on the situation, the Sixers and Flyers are expected to partner on a new arena in South Philadelphia with Comcast Spectacor.
The Sixers and Comcast Spectacor will also work on a revitalization project for the Market East neighborhood in Center City Philadelphia, according to the source.
Philadelphia councilmember Kendra Brooks -- who had opposed the Center City plan -- was happy with Sunday's news but wanted more details on the new deal.
“We said that we didn’t think that this was a good deal from the beginning, both Nicolas O’Rourke and I. As minority leaders, we both said that we were gonna go with the side of the people," Brooks said. “I’m interested to know the details behind what happened. We spent a lot of time and effort and resources on hearings that lasted through the end of the year that could have been spent towards other issues that we’ve been focusing on. So, I’d really like to know the details and what’s next.”
A press conference on the decision is expected to be held on Monday morning, Jan. 13, 2025.
Contacted on Sunday, officials with the Sixers, Comcast and the City of Philadelphia, did not immediately return requests for comment.
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