From the Desk of Councilmember Jamie Gauthier: A bad deal for our city and communities

Dear Neighbors,

After weeks of hearings and deliberation, today I voted against legislation authorizing the proposed 76ers arena. I worked hard to get to a yes, negotiating until the last minute. But my training as an urban planner and lived experience as a lifelong resident of West and Southwest Philadelphia led me to conclude this is a bad deal for our city and communities.

I believe it is possible to have both a downtown sports arena and thriving Chinatown, and I understand why the City would try to make this project work. Market East needs revitalization, and the promise of family-sustaining work for thousands of union workers and diverse small business owners is attractive.

However, West and Southwest Philadelphians know that unless we consider the cons, and not just the pros, of large projects, the community becomes collateral damage.

We know what displacement by moneyed interests looks like: between 2000 and 2020, gentrification forced half of West Philly’s Black population east of 52nd Street from their homes and community.

In September, the 76ers and the Parker Administration proposed a $50 million Community Benefits Agreement that City Council found inadequate. That’s why we advocated for a community-informed $100 million package for affordable housing, small business stabilization, and displacement prevention. But despite our best efforts, the 76ers refused to budge from a meager $10 million increase, less than 1% of the project’s cost.

It was deplorable to learn that the 76ers and their billionaire owners think our communities are only worth $60 million over 30 years. It is insulting for the team to suggest they didn’t have the money to even consider City Council’s $100 million proposal when they recently gave a single athlete $193 million over 3 years.

I voted against the project because the 76ers refused to offset the harm the City’s own study says the arena will inflict on Chinatown, Washington Square West, the Gayborhood, and the entire city. This includes skyrocketing rents that will displace longtime residents, businesses, and nonprofits, ultimately wiping out this cultural hub.

It’s not just about money. The team’s failure to produce a serious traffic plan means we’ll see gridlock on gameday, risking the lives of those who rely on Jefferson’s Level 1 Trauma Center and the entire Chinatown neighborhood.

The arena may also lead to drastic public transportation service cuts. It will be built above SEPTA’s Jefferson Station, requiring millions in modifications. To achieve 40% public transportation ridership among attendees, SEPTA must increase regional rail frequency despite insufficient funding to keep existing trains running. To cover these additional costs, SEPTA may have to cut service elsewhere, including West and Southwest.

The 76ers have a track record of falling short on their promises. When they built their new practice facility in Camden, the government gave them a tax break because the development promised to create hundreds of jobs. However, only 11, less than 4%, went to Camden residents.

Before transmitting legislation to Council, the 76ers and the Parker Administration should have more thoroughly engaged the community, especially while negotiating the Community Benefits Agreement. West and Southwest Philly know that community input is fundamental. It is inappropriate to approve any project of this size— whether an arena, a luxury apartment building, or a life sciences space—without extensively engaging neighbors.

I also denounce the way the manufactured urgency created a divisive atmosphere and flamed tension between our city’s Black and Asian communities. This is the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. Our diversity is our strength. By rushing the approval process, the 76ers ripped open old wounds. The City must repair the vital relationship between our Black and Asian neighbors.

A silver lining in this process has been Council President Kenyatta Johnson and Councilmember Mark Squilla’s around-the-clock work to bring the 76ers to the table. I am grateful for their leadership and have full trust and confidence in them.

This fight isn’t over. I’ll work with leaders inside and outside City Council to protect impacted communities during the arena’s construction and operation. To any billionaire developer thinking they can come into our neighborhoods without addressing our concerns, my ‘no’ vote on this project should serve as a clear warning: we deserve to decide what goes on in our communities.

Sincerely,