Mayor Parker says keeping the Sixers in Philly ‘is a priority’
The mayor's comments came after news broke that New Jersey is courting the Sixers to potentially build an arena in Camden, and as City Council is poised to take up the issue this fall.
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Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said Wednesday that keeping the 76ers playing in Philadelphia “is a priority” for her, but did not take a firm position on whether the team should construct an arena in Center City.
In brief comments to reporters, Parker responded to news that New Jersey has courted the professional basketball team, saying it can offer up to $800 million in tax incentives and the opportunity to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars in exchange for the team building an arena in Camden.
“The place for all Philadelphia teams is to be right here in Philadelphia, and that is a priority for me as mayor of the city,” Parker said. “But we have a process here in the city of Philadelphia that we are following, and we will allow it to play itself out.”
The revelation that New Jersey may be competing for an arena came just days before Philadelphia City Council members are set to return for their fall session, when they may consider legislation green-lighting the project. The proposal has faced fierce opposition from Chinatown activists, who say the arena would irreparably harm the nearby neighborhood, and from Comcast Spectacor, the company that owns the Wells Fargo Center, where the Sixers are currently tenants.
» READ MORE: N.J. floats up to $800M in tax incentives for a Sixers arena development in Camden
While Parker has not yet said whether she is supportive of the Sixers’ proposal to build a $1.55 billion arena and housing tower near 10th and Market Streets, she said Wednesday that “Philadelphia teams belong in the city of Philadelphia.”
“I keep my eyes on the prize, and I am going to stay focused, and I will, in no way, shape, or form, be distracted by any communication,” she said. “Philadelphia teams belong in the city of Philadelphia.”
The flurry of activity around the arena plan, first proposed in 2022, comes as lawmakers and other stakeholders consider the findings of long-awaited city-commissioned impact reports released last week. Those studies found that the project would be “appropriate” for Center City but that it could negatively affect Chinatown residents and businesses.