Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker announced an agreement has been made between the Sixers and the city to keep the team in Philly. The mayor did not outline the exact terms of the agreement but the fight is far from over as the deal still needs to be approved by city council. NBC10’s Frances Wang and Miguel Martinez-Valle has reactions from community members.
Mayor Cherelle Parker has announced that an agreement has been reached to bring an arena for the Philadelphia 76ers to Center City.
On social media on Wednesday afternoon, Parker announced that an arena would indeed be built for the Philadelphia 76ers in Center City.
"As your Mayor, I'm speaking from my City Hall office with a very important announcement. I am proud to share that I have made my decision, and an agreement has been reached to ensure that our Sixers are staying home," Parker wrote on social media.
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While she did not outline the exact terms of the agreement, Parker promised that it would bring "hundreds and hundreds" of jobs to Center City.
Also, she noted that her office would be "transmitting the related legislative package to our City Council of Philadelphia for its consideration where it must be approved."
Through this agreement, Parker said the plan would bring more than $1.3 billion of private investment and will mean "hundreds of millions" in new tax revenue.
"It represents an unprecedented revival of Market Street," she said.
Also, Parker took a moment to direct a comment toward the residents of the city's Chinatown neighborhood -- many of whom have opposed the arena plan -- to say that she wants the agreement to help the "rich and vibrant" community thrive.
"I wholeheartedly believe this is the right deal for the People of Philadelphia. To the People of Chinatown, please know that I hear you. We have the best Chinatown in the United States, and I am committed to working together to support it. I'll have a lot more to say in a formal presentation coming soon," Parker said.
Shortly after Parker announced that an agreement had been made, in a statement, the 76ers said they were "grateful" for the mayor's work.
“We are grateful to Mayor Parker and her team for their time and diligence in evaluating our proposal and look forward to advancing to the next steps with City Council," the 76ers said.
Dan Hilferty, chairman and CEO of Comcast Spectacor said, in a statement, that regardless of the outcome of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment's -- the company that owns the 76ers -- negotiations, the team was always welcome to remain in South Philadelphia.
“Regardless of the outcome of the City’s negotiations with HBSE, our door will always be open for the 76ers to join us in South Philadelphia if they ever conclude that is what is best for their team," Hilferty said. "Alongside the Phillies, we are creating the dynamic and accessible destination for sports and entertainment that will create thousands of jobs, amplify our City, and create numerous community benefits. Either way, we always want what is best for Philadelphia.”
However, following the mayor's announcement, a statement from the Save Chinatown Coalition argued that the "fight is far from over."
Protesters gathered at City Hall shortly after the mayor's announcement, saying they are ready to fight for their neighborhood. They believe a new arena will destroy Chinatown, and the fabric of that community.
The Save Chinatown Coalition has been fighting for months for the neighborhood.
“If you don’t have the decency to come to our community, and look us in the eye, and talk to us, that is disrespectful, that’s extremely disrespectful," Debbie Wei, with the Save Chinatown Coalition, said.
Some sixers fans are dreading all the commotion a move like this could bring to the city.
“Traffic is going to be terrible, so not looking forward to that. It’s going to be interesting to see how many communities that’s going to disrupt too," one Philly resident said.
Others are standing strong with the mayor.
"Best possible place for the Sixers to be at. Stay hometown. A lot of jobs. A lot of jobs are going to open up for us. We’ve been struggling with jobs and all that so," another man said.
“Mayor Parker still hasn’t met with Chinatown after all this time, yet feels she can have a stance on whether our community should live or die. This was never about one person, and this fight is far from over. We are going to fight this, and we are going to the mat. It’s on," said Debbie Wei, who was described as a longtime Chinatown community member and member of the Save Chinatown Coalition.
Hours after the announcement, City Councilmember Mark Squilla released a statement that reads, "Now that the Mayor has made a decision on 76 Place, CM Squilla remains steadfast in his commitment to circulate the package of bills to all stakeholders for at least 30 days. During this time, we expect to consider all concerns and amend the legislation as needed. Council will follow their legislative process and insure there are safeguards in place for the community stakeholders if legislation is introduced."
IBEW Local 98 business manager Mark Lynch also released a statement to NBC10 showing his support for Mayor Parker's announcement.
“IBEW Local 98 applauds Mayor Parker for having the political courage and vision to publicly state her support for the construction of 76 Place on East Market Street. Beyond the nearly 10,000 union construction jobs it will create over a decade, 76 Place will invite additional outside investment that will finally revitalize this dormant yet vital section of Center City," Lynch's statement said.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Economic Development told NBC10 that Wednesday's announcement by Mayor Parker will not deter the state from persuing the 76ers.
"We have put forward a thoughtful and aggressive proposal that makes clear that Governor Murphy and leaders across the state would welcome the 76ers to Camden with open arms, and nothing announced today changes our view that the Sixers should seriously consider New Jersey for their next home. We play until the final buzzer sounds, and we look forward to continuing to make the case for Camden and the Garden State," NJEDA CEO Tim Sullivan said.
State officials from New Jersey and Delaware are also looking to have the Sixers call their state home.
A spokesperson from the New Jersey Economic Deevelopment Authority said even after today's announcement they still welcome the Sixers to Camden with open arms, "we play until the final buzzer sounds."
This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as new information becomes available.
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