Sixers arena proposal: Residents sound off during final public hearing
PHILADELPHIA - A packed house at Philadelphia City Hall as residents made their voices heard one last time over plans for the controversial new Sixers arena.
Monday was the final night of public testimony over the Sixers' proposed $1.3 billion arena in Market East on the edge of Chinatown.
A total of 117 people testified, those who defended the proposal, as well as those highly offended by it in a final push before council casts their vote.
"This city needs this arena like oxygen, so I'm begging the council to build this project," one proponent said, while an opponent stressed, "This proposed arena will disrupt the local economies of the Gayborhood and the historic Chinatown neighborhood for a short term gain."
City council will hold the last legislative hearing on Tuesday, with a vote possible during their next meeting on December 19.
Sixers arena plan: Voices heard in support and opposition as public hearings begin
Will the Sixers win City Council’s support for its plan to build an 18,500-seat arena on the edge of Chinatown? Council hearings underway at City Hall may offer an answer.
Public hearings began nearly two weeks ago with both sides sounding off in heated debates, from cheering unions to opposing community leaders and concerned hospital staff.
In an interview with FOX 29, Mayor Cherelle Parker called the plan, "a 1.3-billion-dollar private sector investment that requires no local subsidy. It’s never happened in the history of our city."
The Sixers expect construction to take about 6 years, and their goal is to have the new arena ready for the 2013 season.