PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The 76ers have released a new Center City arena proposal intended to respond to criticism of its original design, but it isn’t winning over opponents.
The new design includes a glass façade, a higher arena floor and 395 apartments, 79 of which would be designated as affordable.
According to the Sixers, the residential component has been added to address concerns that the arena would increase housing prices in the vicinity. The raised floor is a response to worries about how the original design — with the floor below street level — would impact SEPTA’s Jefferson Regional Rail Station.
The new proposal puts the floor one story above the street, creating a new pedestrian promenade. The glass façade, the team says, is intended to connect the arena to the surrounding neighborhood, including Chinatown, which has generated the most resistance to the arena.
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Opponents of the arena have called the new proposal a “land grab” and “an example of the type of predatory development that has displaced communities of color for decades.”
Neeta Patel, of Asian Americans United, said in a statement, “We all agree Philly needs more affordable housing, and history shows these arena developers won’t actually build it,” while Mohan Seshadri, of Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance, said the new renderings are reminiscent of the Fashion District plans, adding, “We know how that turned out.”
Councilman Mark Squilla, whose district would house the new arena, said he needs more time to study the new proposal.
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