PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — After several hours of public testimony on Tuesday in opposition to the proposed Center City arena, City Council advanced two bills connected with the project. The bills’ sponsor says not to read too much into it.
The bills don’t actually advance the arena, says Councilmember Mark Squilla, in whose district it would be built. The bills permit the creation of an arena services district and removal of the site from the Fashion District’s financing arrangement — two things that won’t happen unless there’s an actual arena.
So even though the committee vote was 10-3 in favor, Squilla says he doesn’t consider it a sign that the more substantive bills will pass with the same level of support.
“There’s still communications that we have to go back and forth, working with the administration, council president’s office, the arena team — and find out if we could extract more or get more protections in place before a final vote needs to be taking place,” he said.
“There’s still a lot of work still to do, and we still have a week of hearings, and it will be decided at that point.”
Among those who voted against the bills are Council members Jamie Gauthier and Rue Landau, who said they are undecided.
Landau said they still have questions: “For the unanswered questions and the lack of support and financial resources, for the impact on the communities, I’m a nay.”
Gauthier said she wants to see what that additional work yields: “I remain committed to participating in an engaged manner as these negotiations go forward, however at this point I have too many questions and concerns.”
Council members have said they’d like to see more money in the Community Benefits Agreement, now at $50 million.
Squilla says he wants to amend the legislation to make sure that the 76ers will provide transit passes with tickets until it reaches the goal of 40% of fans taking public transportation. SEPTA estimates that it would cost between $20 million and $25 million a year to expand service for the arena — money SEPTA doesn’t have.
The Sixers organization has made it clear that it does not feel responsible for that cost. If the city were required to pick up the cost, it would undermine a key selling point of the arena — that no city money is being used.
Before Council held Tuesday's public hearing, its sixth in a series of eight on the Sixers’ arena proposal, Mayor Cherelle Parker reiterated her support for the project at a community meeting in a Mount Airy church.