Mayor Parker on the Sixers arena and her ambitious agenda | Editorial

As Mayor Cherelle L. Parker approaches six months in office, the signature issues of the first woman to lead Philadelphia are taking shape. While the full impact of her agenda remains to be seen, this much is clear: Madam Mayor is shaking up City Hall.

The sleepy complacency that set in during the Kenney administration has been replaced by Parker’s thunderous voice and ambitious efforts to restore law and order, clean every city street this summer, and shut down the $1 billion open-air drug market that has long plagued Kensington.

While the rollout of some of her initiatives has been bumpy, she is not afraid to challenge the status quo. Parker proposed ending the tiny cuts to the wage and business taxes, stopped funding for a highly regarded needle exchange program, and rankled some city workers by ordering everyone back to the office five days a week.

Parker defended her decisions during a meeting with the Editorial Board, arguing that she was “trying to establish a new standard” for “how we do business.” She acknowledged “growing pains” in the communications and execution of some plans, but added, “I am not a bastion of perfection.” Parker also shed some light on her thinking regarding a highly anticipated decision involving the proposed Sixers arena.

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On stopping the tax cuts that previous mayors largely endorsed over the past 30 years, Parker said she was taking a “risk” by first investing in creating a “safe, clean and green” environment that will attract businesses.

“Let’s get our own house in order,” Parker told the board. Yes, but given how the city’s high tax burden, slow job growth, and poverty are so interconnected, a better path would be to do both — especially since recent tax cuts only amount to about 0.5% of the city’s $6.29 billion budget.

Parker also made an effusive pitch for a new $10 million investment in Community College of Philadelphia to create a so-called City College for Municipal Employment aimed at recruiting workers for careers in city government and elsewhere.

The proposal has received little attention, but Parker called it “one of her babies.” She said it would provide paid internships and job opportunities for those without a “hookup.” (Parker’s path to the top of City Hall began with an internship for then-Councilmember Marian B. Tasco.) The program aims to steer residents to careers that provide a living wage, health benefits, and pension. While many details seem unsettled, the plan’s success depends on the execution.

The same goes for the efforts in Kensington, where the early results appear promising. After years of looking the other way, Philadelphia police broke up a homeless encampment that stretched for two blocks along Kensington Avenue.

Police have also beefed up safety in a neighborhood known for gun violence and increased arrests of drug dealers who have long operated with impunity on dozens of street corners in the area.

Past administrations have launched similar crackdowns over the past quarter century, only to later walk away. Whether lasting and substantive change comes to Kensington depends on the city’s commitment to the safety and welfare of residents. For now, Parker deserves credit for tackling a public health disaster that has been long ignored.

Likewise, the effort in Kensington is part of Parker’s broader promise to restore order to the city. So far, that appears to be happening.

Homicides are down 37% in 2024 compared with the same period last year. The number of shootings has decreased by 45%. There has been a noticeable increase in police presence throughout the city.

The drop in homicides and violent crime is impressive, but how much of that is the result of a change in police tactics is unclear, given that crime is down nationwide following a spike during the pandemic. But Parker did appoint a respected police chief who knows the city and has the mayor’s support, which is often half the battle.

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In a surprise twist, Parker seemed to tip her hand regarding her stance on the proposed $1.55 billion Sixers arena along Market Street in Center City. Many have assumed she would back the plan, which has the support of the Philadelphia branch of the NAACP, the Black clergy, and the powerful building trades union, which endorsed her for mayor.

But Comcast Spectacor unveiled a $2.5 billion plan in February that envisions hotels, apartments, restaurants, shops, and a smaller arena at the existing stadium complex in South Philadelphia. The Comcast Spectacor proposal — which remains largely aspirational — has been likened to the sports entertainment complex in Atlanta known as the Battery.

Parker visited the complex in Georgia and left impressed. “I love the Battery,” Parker told the Editorial Board. “We need to have our own Battery.”

But Parker added that she didn’t see the two projects as competing against each other. She plans to visit arenas in other cities and said her final decision would come down to “the return on investment and the public benefit for the people of the city of Philadelphia.”

What that means for the Sixers or Comcast Spectacor remains to be seen. Could Parker push for both?

After almost six months as mayor, she has demonstrated a willingness to tackle big issues with a style that is both unconventional and pragmatic. But, unlike the past administration, never dull.