CAMDEN, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — While the Philadelphia 76ers continue working on building a new arena near the city’s Chinatown, New Jersey officials are reaching in for a steal, trying to make Camden an attractive alternative with up to $400 million in tax credits.
The proposal from New Jersey includes up to $400 million in Aspire tax credits for the team to build a mixed-use arena, including retail and housing, on the waterfront in North Camden, at the site of a former prison.
Mayor Vic Carstarphen says such a project would be transformative for his city.
“It opens up so many other expansive opportunities for our community and residents, being jobs, you know, housing,” the mayor said.
“You know it’s exciting to have that conversation, and I think it will be a generational change for Camden. And you know the Sixers have been incredible partners, community partners.”
The pitch from Economic Development Authority CEO Tim Sullivan comes as the team and Philadelphia negotiate over a future $1.3 billion arena, 76 Place, the team had announced for the city's Chinatown neighborhood. The team has said it doesn't plan to stay at the Wells Fargo Arena in the city's stadium district past 2031 when its lease is up.
A spokesperson for the Philadelphia mayor's office declined to comment on New Jersey's offer or the status of its own negotiations.
The Sixers, which already have a training complex and headquarters facility in Camden, called New Jersey's offer “thoughtful and compelling," though the team is still talking to Philadelphia leaders about a new arena in the city.
At an unrelated event in suburban Philadelphia on Tuesday, Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said the team wants to remain in Philadelphia and that he hasn't been asked for tax incentives, which he thinks is a sign of their commitment.
“They plan to invest their own money in building this arena. … And I believe Philadelphia is the exact right place for the Sixers,” Shapiro said.
“I recognize Jersey may want to try to entice them to move across the river, but the Sixers shouldn’t go anywhere.”
The team sent KYW Newsradio a statement saying the vision offered by Gov. Phil Murphy and his economic development team is thoughtful and compelling, but they have been focused on building near Chinatown for five years and continue working toward that goal. However, they acknowledge the shot clock is ticking. They want a new home by the 2031-32 season and, until plans are finalized to build in Philly, they must seriously consider other options, including the Camden proposal.
The team's potential move to Chinatown comes as some in the community worry that street parking could disappear, traffic could rise and it could be harder to hold festivals.
New Jersey's offer comes just months after the state's attorney general filed criminal racketeering charges against a Camden Democratic power broker as well as a former mayor of the city and others over what he said was their role in orchestrating tax incentive legislation and benefiting from it. He and the others have denied the charges and are fighting them in court.