The Sixers arena fight will begin at City Hall

There has been a peaceful buzz at City Hall for more than two years, ever since the Philadelphia 76ers announced plans to build a fresh arena in the heart of Center City.

At council meetings, supporters wore “pro-union” T-shirts, while opponents held signs reading “No Chinatown Arena.” A truck promoting the project often circled City Hall, playing the Sixers fight song. Lobbyists rushed in and out of offices.

For months, most lawmakers who could decide whether or not the bill succeeds said they were waiting to take a position until economic and social impact studies were released.

Those reports came down Monday evening. Lawmakers are now on the clock.

None of the 17 council members announced any changes to their positions as a result of the study, which reached no specific conclusions. Stakeholders on both sides identified findings that support their existing positions on the impact on the city’s economy, public transportation, traffic and Chinatown, which is adjacent to the proposed arena site at 10th and Market Streets.

» READ MORE: City releases long-awaited study on impact of Sixers arena in city centre

Lawmakers agreed Tuesday that they still have hundreds of pages of materials to wade through before next week’s first Council meeting of the fall session. They are also seeking input from Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, a Democrat who has spoken positively about the $1.55 billion proposal but has not outright supported it.

For construction of the arena to begin, a majority in the Democratic-controlled Council would need to approve the legislation, and Parker would need to agree to it.

Meanwhile, the bill’s creators are pressing lawmakers for support, and interest groups on both sides are making their positions known. A group called the Save Chinatown Coalition says it is bracing for months of “planned resistance and action.”

It’s all building up to what could be a controversial fall at City Hall. Here’s what happens next.

Which City Council Members Are For and Against the Sixers Arena?

Councilmember Mark Squilla, whose district includes the proposed arena site, did not directly support the project. He did, however, speak positively about the project and said he would introduce bills still in the development phase if he sees a political path forward.

Typically, lawmakers defer to a district attorney on land-use decisions in a tradition known as “councillor prerogative.” But Squilla said this process will be different given the citywide implications, and he encouraged his colleagues to draw their own conclusions.

» READ MORE: Sixers’ Center City arena plan comes to an end after two years

So far, one council member has made it clear he intends to vote in favor of building the arena: Jim Harrity, who has close ties to construction worker groups that support the project.

“This is simply about doing what’s best for the people of Philadelphia and creating jobs in the city,” he said.

Three members expressed opposition.

Two progressive members — Kendra Brooks and Nicolas O’Rourke of the Working Families Party — have said they do not support the current project, given the vocal opposition from Chinatown residents.

O’Rourke said Tuesday that the research was “surprising” and pointed out that some projections of the economic impact — including tax revenues — were lower than the estimates the panel used to defend its proposal.

“The difference is big enough to warrant further discussion. They have some say in it,” he said. “Chinatown residents have said in a thorough process that they don’t want this, and I think this report has just underscored and elevated the need for further discussion with the Chinatown community about how [the Sixers] “Fix it.”

Council member Jeffery “Jay” Young Jr., who represents parts of North Philadelphia, also said in May that he did not support the project “based on what I’ve seen of the plan so far.”

The majority of the Council has not yet made a decision on the arena.

One of the key voices is Council Speaker Kenyatta Johnson, who exercises significant control over the course 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 the arena, wants the team to stay and has proposed its own major redevelopment project around the sports convoluted.

An economic impact assessment released Monday found that the Wells Fargo Center would suffer if the Sixers’ plan goes ahead. Sports and entertainment specialist CSL International, which authored the report, wrote that Philadelphia could keep two arenas, but Wells Fargo Center’s revenue would be negatively impacted.

Johnson said Tuesday he was still analyzing the impact studies.

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

Most of the remaining members remain publicly undecided, though some indicated Tuesday that despite their lack of a position on the arena, they want the Sixers to stay in Philly. Officials from other states are courting the team.

“Recently released community and economic impact studies underscore the need for Philadelphia teams to play and remain in Philadelphia,” Councilman Isaiah Thomas said in a statement. “Losing a professional team to Delaware or New Jersey would be a huge loss to the city — economically and culturally.”

Inside the arena legislation approval process

Council members will return from vacation next week, and in the fall they may find themselves having to consider as many as a dozen bills and regulations related to this arena.

Legislative approval would be needed to establish a fresh zoning division, relocate properties, remove part of Filbert Street from the city grid, adjust existing improvement zones and change regulations on issues such as signage and crash-prevention structures, according to a community impact report released Monday.

Sixers attorneys are drafting the bill with representatives from several city and state agencies, including several city departments, PennDOT and SEPTA.

The timeline remains somewhat of a moving target. The Sixers have said that for the arena to open on time — for the 2031 season — codes would need to be in place by early September and state approvals would need to be received by the end of the year. They want to start demolition in 2026.

But Squilla sounded skeptical Monday that all the approvals will be made by the end of the year. He hasn’t seen the legislation himself yet and promised the public will have 30 days to review the bills before introducing them.

Then the typical legislative process begins: the 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 bill package. He said any decisions will be made in consultation with Squilla.

Johnson said the council is aware of the Sixers’ timeline but “needs as much time as it takes to actually address all the issues and concerns and conduct due diligence.”

Once approved by the committee, the bill can then go to a vote of the full Council. Then it will go to Parker’s desk for her to sign — or veto.

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