PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — In a three-hour presentation Wednesday night, Mayor Cherelle Parker laid out in painstaking detail what the 76ers agreed to in order to get her approval for a Center City arena.
“It is a historic agreement,” Parker said. “It’s the best sports facility agreement in the history of Philadelphia.”
The $50 million Community Benefits Agreement will be split between projects specifically to preserve Chinatown, such as a small business fund, public safety enhancements, and affordable housing, and for citywide projects, including a youth basketball league and training for jobs in arena operations.
City Solicitor Renee Garcia says most of the money will be spent in the first 10 years of the 30-year agreement.
“We have negotiated the CBA as a contract between the CBA and the Sixers with the city having full enforcement rights,” Garcia said. “Those rights roll over to each owner of the team should a sale occur.”
The administration also touted the Economic Opportunity Plan as the most detailed and comprehensive of any large development. John Mondlak of Planning and Development says the agreement mandates that the arena doors will be open to the public.
“This space needs to be inviting. It needs to be exciting. It needs to be a place people want to go in,” Mondlak said.
Parker says anyone who still has a problem with the agreement should not blame the Sixers.
“I am proud and take full responsibility for what is included in this agreement,” she said. “I don’t want you to think I’m running from or shirking anything in this agreement. I support it 1,001%.”
The terms are cemented in nine bills that Councilman Mark Squilla is expected to introduce at the Oct. 24 council meeting
Hundreds of supporters of 76 Place were present at the briefing Wednesday night, but notably, opponents of the arena were absent.
A spokesperson with Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance, one of the lead organizations of the "Save Chinatown Coalition," says there was no outreach to Chinatown leaders or organizations until a couple of hours before the meeting. They're asking City Council to step in.