PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The 76ers’ proposed Center City arena plan got another brutal bashing Tuesday at the second and final hearing before the Civic Design Review Committee.
76DevCorp altered the arena plan for 76 Place after the drubbing it got at the first hearing in December, which Committee chair Michael Johns praised.
“I think we appreciate the development team’s commitment to this process,” he said.
Johns says though the changes are improvements, the bottom line is the committee’s just not there yet.
Part of the appeal of putting the arena where the Fashion District currently sits is that it would draw interest to a part of East Market Street that is dark and deserted most nights. But Civic Design Review Committee member Ashley DiCarlo noted that a downtown mall was once seen as that kind of cure and now it looks like a mistake.
“When we close our eyes and jump 20 years into the future, will we say as a city that this was a good investment,” she said. “I really don’t think that this proposal as it stands is doing that right now.”
DiCarlo also criticized the $50 million community benefits agreement, pointing out it’s less than one year’s salary of a star player on a professional sports team.
“I think that the historic Chinatown is worth of at least a four-year contract,” she said.
76 PLACE DESIGN PROPOSAL
Public commenters were even harsher in their evaluation of the plan. One woman said it hurt her stomach. But, unlike the first hearing, this time, there were a few who showed support.
“I just see nothing but positive things out of this,” one supporter said.
The development team, led by Alex Kafenbaum, pledged to continue to improve the plan. He says the ultimate goal is to make the arena a great space.
“We want to make it something people are proud of, the city is proud of,” he said.
It was the Civic Design Review committee’s last pass at the plan and its comments were purely advisory. City council ultimately will decide on whether the arena gets built.
It’s still waiting on economic and community impact reports that were commissioned last summer and are still likely months away from being done.
It was the Civic Design Review committee’s last pass at the plan and its comments were purely advisory. The city council ultimately will decide on whether the arena gets built.
It’s still waiting on economic and community impact reports that were commissioned last summer and are still likely months away from being done.