PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Chinatown community members and others against the proposed 76ers arena in the neighborhood spent Sunday getting creative for their cause.
The “No Arena in Chinatown Solidarity” group joined other coalitions to film a music video parodying Miley Cyrus’ 2013 hit “Wrecking Ball,” sending a clear message: no wrecking balls in Chinatown.
They tweaked the lyrics: “You came in like a wrecking ball / completely disregarding us / but you don’t get to make the calls / all your promises are empty / and we’re ready.”
People carried signs, wore hats with mini cranes, led a drum line and sang their hearts out throughout Chinatown to preach their opposition to the proposed 76ers stadium. Activist Jonathan Leibovic wrote the parody lyrics.
“I wanted to put in a lot of the history that this is not the first time that Chinatown has had to fight these fights. And in fact, it keeps happening over and over again,” he said.
The arena would border the neighborhood, sitting between 10th and 11th streets, along Market Street, in Center City. Residents and business owners have said the site would destroy businesses and the quality of life in the area.
“We’ve been through this so many times,” said Debbie Wei, a founding member of Asian Americans United. “We’ve stopped the prison. We had to stop a stadium. We had to stop two casinos.”
The arena, called 76 Place, addresses the community’s concerns on its website. Developers said they will make sure to route fans to marked lots to minimize traffic, make upgrades to signal timing and assist in residential affordability.
“This community has survived for 150 years and it’s a legacy and it’s a tradition that we pass down, that the elders have passed to us to fight for our home,” Wei added.
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The “No Arena in Chinatown Solidarity” group, which started as a Jewish community-led effort to stand in solidarity with Chinatown, said the music video will be broadcast during the holiday of Purim, on March 6.
If plans go as followed, 76 Place developers said demolition is targeted to start in 2026, with a projected opening date of September 2031.
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