The Sixers’ arena battle is about to get underway in City Council

There’s been a low-level rumble in City Hall for more than two years since the Philadelphia 76ers announced plans to construct a new arena in the heart of Center City.

At Council meetings, supporters donned “pro-union” T-shirts and opponents held signs that said “No arena in Chinatown.” A truck promoting the project often circled City Hall, playing the Sixers’ fight song. Lobbyists scurried in and out of offices.

For months, most of the lawmakers who could make or break the proposal said they were waiting to take a position until studies on the economic and community impact were published.

Those reports dropped Monday night. Legislators are now on the clock.

None of Council’s 17 members announced a change in position as a result of the studies, which did not come to a neat conclusion. Stakeholders on both sides identified findings to support their already-held positions on how it might impact the city’s economy, public transit, traffic, and Chinatown, which is adjacent to the proposed arena site at 10th and Market Streets.

» READ MORE: City releases long-awaited studies on impacts of a downtown Sixers arena

Lawmakers generally said Tuesday that they were still wading through the hundreds of pages of material ahead of next week, the first Council meeting of the fall session. They’re also awaiting a signal from Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, a Democrat who has spoken favorably about the $1.55 billion proposal but has not explicitly endorsed it.

A majority of the Democratic-controlled Council would have to approve legislation for the arena to move forward, and Parker would have to be on board.

In the meantime, the project’s developers are pressing lawmakers for support and interest groups on all sides are making their positions known. A group called the Save Chinatown Coalition says it’s gearing up for months of “planned resistance and actions.”

It all sets up for what could be a contentious fall in City Hall. Here’s what happens next.

Councilmember Mark Squilla, whose district includes the site of the proposed arena, has not plainly endorsed the project. However, he has spoken favorably about the project and said he will introduce the bills, which are still under development, if he sees a path forward politically.

Usually, lawmakers defer to the district member on land use decisions in a tradition known as “councilmanic prerogative.” But Squilla has said this process will be different, given the citywide significance, and he has encouraged his colleagues to come to their own conclusions.

» READ MORE: After two years, the clock is ticking on the Sixers plan to build a Center City arena

So far, one Council member has said explicitly that he intends to vote in favor of the arena: Jim Harrity, who has close relationships with building trades labor groups that support the project.

“It’s just about doing the best for the people of Philadelphia and bringing jobs into the city,” he said.

Three members have signaled opposition.

Two progressive members — Kendra Brooks and Nicolas O’Rourke of the Working Families Party — have said they don’t support the project as it’s currently proposed, given the vocal opposition from Chinatown residents.

O’Rourke said Tuesday that the studies were “startling,” pointing out that some of the economic impact projections — including tax revenue — were lower than estimates the team has used to defend its proposal.

“The difference is wide enough to warrant more discussion. They have some answering to do,” he said. “The people in Chinatown have said through a thorough process they don’t want this, and it seems to me that this report has only emphasized and elevated the need for more discussion with the community in Chinatown about how [the Sixers] square this.”

Councilmember Jeffery “Jay” Young Jr., who represents parts of North Philadelphia, also said in May that he did not support the project “given what I’ve seen for a plan thus far.”

One key voice is Council President Kenyatta Johnson, who wields significant control over the flow of legislation in the chamber.

His district includes the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia, where the Sixers are currently tenants. Comcast Spectacor, which owns that arena, wants the team to stay and has proposed its own large redevelopment project around the sports complex.

The economic impact assessment released Monday showed the Wells Fargo Center would suffer if the Sixers’ plan moves forward. Sports and entertainment specialist CSL International, which authored the report, wrote that Philadelphia can support two arenas, but that the Wells Fargo Center’s revenue would be negatively impacted.

Johnson said Tuesday he’s still reviewing the impact studies.

“The devil’s always in the details,” he said. “That’s why we’re taking our time in this process.”

Most of the other members are still publicly undecided, though some were signaling Tuesday that, despite not taking a position yet on the arena, they want the Sixers to stay in Philly. Officials from other states are courting the team.

“The recently released community and economic impact studies underscore the need for Philadelphia teams to play and stay in Philadelphia,” Councilmember Isaiah Thomas said in a statement. “It would be a major loss to the city — from an economic and cultural lens — to lose a professional team to Delaware or New Jersey.”

Council members return from their summer break next week, and there could be as many as a dozen pieces of legislation and regulatory action related to the arena for them to consider this fall.

According to the community impact report released Monday, legislative approval would be needed to establish new zoning, transfer real estate, remove part of Filbert Street from the city grid, adjust existing improvement districts, and change regulations for such matters as signage and crash-prevention structures.

Lawyers for the Sixers are writing the legislation with representatives from a handful of city and state agencies, including several city departments, PennDOT, and SEPTA.

The timeline remains something of a moving target. The Sixers have said that in order for the arena to open on time — by the 2031 season — legislation would need to be introduced in early September and government approvals would need to be complete by the end of this year. They want to begin demolition in 2026.

But Squilla on Monday sounded skeptical about the approvals all getting done by the end of the year. He has yet to see the legislation himself and has promised that the public will have 30 days to review the bills before he introduces them.

After that comes the typical legislative process: a Council committee must consider the bills in a public hearing, or in multiple hearings.

Johnson said his office has not yet determined which committees will hold a hearing or hearings on the legislation because they have not yet seen the package of bills. He said any decisions will be made in consultation with Squilla.

Johnson said Council is aware of the Sixers’ timeline, but will “take as long as we need to actually address all the issues and concerns and do our due diligence.”

Following committee approval, the legislation can be voted on by the full Council. It would then head to Parker’s desk for her signature — or veto.

Inquirer staff writers Sean Collins Walsh and Jeff Gammage contributed to this article.