After months of speculation, the Sixers have just secured themselves a new downtown arena. 

Cherelle Parker, Philadelphia’s 100th mayor, announced on Wednesday, Sept. 18 that the Philadelphia 76ers and her administration have reached an agreement on their proposed $1.3 billion arena in Chinatown to keep the storied franchise in the City of Brotherly Love.

“It is a historic agreement,” said Mayor Parker in a released statement. “It is the best financial deal ever entered into by a Philadelphia mayor for a local sports arena.”

This all came to fruition only a couple of weeks after the state of New Jersey offered the 76ers major tax credits in a deal that would have moved them across the river, stationing the Sixers in Camden, not Philadelphia. 

While the arena has officially been endorsed by Mayor Parker, the deal still awaits approval by the city council. 

Many sides have argued as to where the 76ers’ arena should be placed. In regards to the near-inevitable downtown arena, there are more cons than pros. 

The 76ers staying in Philadelphia is easily the most positive component of the recent agreement made by the team and Mayor Parker. It ensures that the Sixers and their fans do not have to visit a different state to see its biggest stars in action. 

However, the parking situation could be a fiasco. Fans could no longer drive to the arena but would have to park elsewhere and take a train or subway to the games instead. Additionally, parking garages would be filled to the brim, and severe traffic on the streets is a certainty. 

The arena’s exact location, Philadelphia’s Chinatown, has residents and a community that could be greatly impacted by the effects of the arena’s construction and aftermath. Mayor Parker did have a message for Chinatown residents in her recent statement, wanting their “rich and vibrant community and proud history to not just survive, but to thrive.” 

Overloading a tight area with 18,500 people, which is the expected capacity of the Center City arena, could prove disastrous, which gives Chinatown locals every right to oppose the arena from invading their space. 

Adding to the mix, New Jersey’s attempt to lure the Sixers to Camden, while unsuccessful, did present some solutions to the recognizable issues of the Center City arena. An arena in Camden would have given the Sixers more space to not only build their prized arena but also have room to spare for parking spots.

The location would also not be as congested when compared to what an overcrowded setting could look like in Chinatown. Camden also seemed more open and welcoming to the idea than Chinatown locals.

Yet again, the fault of this project is evident. 76ers fans do not want to go see their team play in a different state. With the downtown location and Camden bid both having key flaws, there is one more alternative.  

Philadelphia Eagles legend Jason Kelce had a word on the matter, mentioning that he would rather the Sixers “stay in South Philly,” via Sports Radio 94 WIP. “In 10 years… we’re all probably going to be really happy that there’s a beautiful complex [in Center City]… but right now I really hate it.”

It seemed as though the possibility of a Sixers arena in Center City was fading until New Jersey jumped in to intensify the situation. In the end, I believe that it was the Camden suggestion that pressured Mayor Parker and the City of Philadelphia to give in to the Sixers’ original request. 

The 76ers organization and its primary owner Josh Harris are the clear winners in the arena sweepstakes, not Philadelphia, and especially not the fans. Money was the move’s motivation and why the Sixers wanted a new privately funded arena in the first place. 

The priority quickly became keeping the 76ers in Philadelphia, never considering what would be in the best interest of the fans and those who reside in Philadelphia’s Chinatown. 

In a perfect world, the 76ers remain in South Philadelphia in which all sports complexes are located in one spot, with immense parking, and where simpler times can be the future, not a thing of the past.

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