Philadelphia 76ers arena proposal passed by council committee; final vote expected next week

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia City Council has taken a crucial step to help green-light controversial plans to build a new Sixers arena in Center City by passing a series of bills Thursday morning.

Echoed by the roars from opponents, the committee approved the amendments 12-4 ahead of a final vote by the full council expected next week.

Among the passed bills, included $60 million for the Community Benefits Agreement paid for by the Sixers to help Chinatown and other communities that will be impacted by the arena.

This initial approval comes after council members met twice on Wednesday among crowds of chanting opponents that flooded council chambers inside City Hall. The first session was moved to the afternoon after council lacked votes for a committee vote, and the 4 p.m. meeting was later pushed to Thursday morning.

The high-stakes votes come after eight days of public hearings over the past month, where residents and community leaders from both sides voiced their concerns and support for the proposed plan.

Community groups, including representatives from Chinatown, have expressed fear of being displaced as others opponents criticize the project for being rushed, claiming decisions were made behind closed doors.

"What I was told was that my colleagues were okay with the procedural vote they were not okay with the CBA which they thought should be more," said Jim Harrity/(D)-City Council.

A source told FOX 29 that the team wasn't in line with an effort to up the CBA to $100 million.

"We're having conversations with the Sixers and members on how best to proceed and move forward. We want this deal to work, we think it's good for the city of Philadelphia," said Councilman Kenyatta Johnson.

Arena protesters celebrated another temporary victory after city council scrubbed the vote for the fourth time, with opponents claiming "they don't have the votes."

Meanwhile, Mayor Cherelle Parker held another listening session Wednesday, this time at McCall Elementary and Middle School to explain the arena process.

"The due diligence that they are doing right now, their homework, tough questions, everything they're going through, that's what a council does...they will make a decision when they see fit," she said.

The council president says the vote needs to happen then as they only have one more session before Christmas, which would be the 19th and they could add one after that but Johnson says that's not going to happen.

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Unions and many members of Philadelphia’s Black clergy have cheered on the plan, supporting a boost in salaries and an investment in the city.

Mayor Cherelle Parker has also continued to show strong support for the 18,500-seat arena, paid for by the Sixers, who now say they’ll pour more money into a $50 million community fund.

"City Council will continue its communication with the Sixers and, quite frankly, negotiations with them, but nothing is going to change my stance," Parker said last week.

The proposed arena is what the mayor calls a major land use and large-scale economic development project for the city and its NBA franchise.

"Beyond basketball, there is a $1.3 billion private sector project which will breathe new life back into Market Street," Parker said at the final community meeting on Tuesday.