Sixers arena: Hearings for proposed 76 Place begin as opponents continue to speak out

CENTER CITY - Hearings began Tuesday morning in Philadelphia City Council on the Sixers plan to build an arena in the Market East neighborhood with opponents challenging the Parker Administration's support for the plan.

The hearing began with a reading of the names of the tangle of bills, that if approved, will mean an 18,500-seat arena will rise on Market Street on the border of Chinatown. Mayor Parker wants it; her Chief of Staff made the case. Tiffany Thurman testified, "The arena will unlock long needed redevelopment on Market East attracting investment, generating jobs, and yielding new tax revenue."

The city argues it will bring $700 million in new tax dollars for Philly, with another $350 million for the Commonwealth. They argue 1,000 construction and operation jobs will be created.

No sooner had the questions started when one member demanded the team return from Camden bringing that tax revenue with it. Isiah Thomas, a Democrat on city council said, "If we do agree to give them an arena, I think part of the deal should be that the company itself be headquartered in the City of Philadelphia."

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The Sixers say they'll pony-up to build the $1.3-billion arena, pour $50 million into a special fund to ease the burden on Chinatown and cover the costs of changes to SEPTA's Jefferson Station. SEPTA will have to run more regional rail trains on game days at a time the Authority argues it's desperate for funds. Council member Jamie Gauthier argued, "If SEPTA's financial stability is not explicitly addressed in the legislation, we should not vote for the arena."

Laborers, in support of the deal and its jobs, looked down from the balcony on opponents seated on the floor just back from a "people's hearing" held outside. Insiders say the votes are there for approval, but for now the no-votes are loudest. Nicholas O'Rourke is with the Working Families Party. He said, "We are prioritizing a pet project of billionaires. They got plenty of money, instead of the material needs of Philadelphians."