Last updated at 5:42 p.m.
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Following a brief interruption by protesters Thursday morning, Philadelphia City Council has passed all of the measures needed for the 76ers’ proposed $1.3 billion arena project to get underway.
All 11 bills needed to clear the way for construction on East Market Street passed council around 12:30 p.m. The vote on most of the bills was 12-5. One bill, which would create a special zoning district designed to protect Chinatown during and after construction, passed with 14 votes.
The Committee of the Whole passed a package of arena-related bills last week 12-4.
The vote was a victory for Mayor Cherelle Parker, who in September, announced she had negotiated a deal with the Sixers that was most of what passed.
City council did manage to get the Sixers to increase the Community Benefits Agreement by $10 million and Councilman Mark Squilla added zoning protections and extra services for Chinatown. But Parker, speaking hours after the bills were passed, called it a momentous vote.
"All of Philadelphia will benefit from this project," she said.
Ahead of Thursday's vote, Squilla said it had been a difficult process and is not completely over.
"I will continue and we will continue to meet with all the stakeholders, especially the Chinatown and WashWest communities, and to understand their budget requests and needs as this process moves forward," he said.
Members of the Chinatown community have said the arena would be devastating for the neighborhood. Labor leaders disagree, saying the arena would bring much-needed jobs and investment to Center City.
After Thursday’s session, City Council will be on recess for the holidays. Officials with the 76ers said they needed approval by the end of this year so they could stay on track to open the arena by 2031, when their contract ends at the Wells Fargo Center.
Statement from the Philadelphia 76ers on the passage of the arena legislation:
Today’s City Council vote is a critical milestone in the development of 76Place at Market East and we would not be here without the tireless efforts of so many. We would like to thank Council President Kenyatta Johnson, Councilmember Mark Squilla, and all of the Councilmembers who voted in favor of the project. We would also like to thank Mayor Parker and her administration for their support. The leadership that Council and the Mayor have displayed embodies a greater vision for Philadelphia. They recognize how important this project is for the revitalization of our city. We would also like to give a heartfelt “thank you” to our many supporters and partners over the past two years for championing this project. Although a lot of work has been done to get here, we know there is much more to do. We look forward to pursuing the remaining approvals to make 76Place a reality.
Protesters stage sit-in
As City Council was trying to gavel into session, opponents of the arena shouted, locked arms, and staged a sit-in in the center of the chambers, but sheriff’s deputies quickly cleared them out. Sheriff Rochelle Bilal herself came to supervise their removal. Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel and several deputy commissioners followed.
The protesters succeeded only in delaying Thursday’s vote by about 40 minutes.