New Sixers arena will benefit all Philadelphians

When the decision was made to find a new home for the 76ers by the 2031 season, we did so with careful consideration. Upholding our rich history means focusing on the future generation of fans and neighbors, as well as the city we call home. We recognize the magnitude of this opportunity to have a positive impact on the fabric of our downtown neighborhoods. We are taking great care to first build meaningful relationships with community leaders so that we can work together to find solutions to long-standing problems, celebrate the legacy of our neighborhoods, and build a space that all of Philadelphia can enjoy.

The proposed site of the Fashion District is an existing commercial site that won’t displace local small businesses and residents. It also offers the potential to reimagine East Market Street — an area of Center City that has experienced challenges for decades. Storefront vacancy is up and nonresident pedestrians (shoppers, visitors, and nonresident workers) are down, adding to the perception that our downtown is not safe.

The arena will encourage more people to spend their time and money in Center City. It will bolster support for our public transit system, create thousands of jobs, and improve safety over the long term. Perhaps most importantly, this project will be privately funded and not require public subsidy. All these things are critically important as we emerge from the pandemic, and continue to look for new ways to expand our economy and our tax base to address the challenges of being one of the poorest big cities in the country.

“The arena will encourage more people to spend their time and money in Center City.”

The project is a tremendous opportunity to create a new model for responsible, equitable development in Philadelphia — one that contributes to growth that can benefit all. When we announced our plans to locate in Center City, we embraced the need to be far more inclusive, thoughtful, and impactful than any other large-scale development. We will hold ourselves accountable by creating a formal community benefits agreement that will invest millions into the community and ensure that this development brings positive change.

The new arena would be a neighbor to one of the oldest and strongest Chinatowns in the country, and a staple of cultural stability, vibrancy, immigration, and tourism for the Chinese and broader Asian community, as well as the city of Philadelphia. The arena may be new, but we’re far from new neighbors — the Fashion District, formerly The Gallery, has been located in Market East for nearly 50 years, and the arena will repurpose a portion of this long-standing site.

We know that past developments have stoked concern throughout Chinatown — justifiably so, given the displacement that occurred alongside their construction. While these project footprints required evicting residents and businesses or acquiring properties through eminent domain, the arena’s boundaries are housed within an existing Market East footprint that allows us to protect Chinatown’s residents and small businesses. This is our commitment. In partnership with the community, we are also prepared to invest in projects that will ensure that existing residents and small businesses within Chinatown are able to remain.

» READ MORE: I was born and raised in Philly’s Chinatown. I don’t want a Sixers stadium here.

Our ongoing conversations with community leaders and stakeholders will allow us to develop the arena in a way that ensures that all neighboring communities will be respected and celebrated. These continuing conversations will also inform how we address local priorities such as maintaining affordability for residents and businesses, managing traffic and parking, and using our resources to support neighborhood businesses. We also intend to make improvements to help keep the area clean and safe, including security, lighting, and street cleaning. Our goal is to respect, listen, engage, and work with the community throughout this development to protect, strengthen, and create a positive impact on neighboring businesses and residents.

We’re prepared to build ethically, responsibly, and, above all else, equitably. This shared commitment is what brought Mosaic Development Partners to the 76ers in support of 76 Place. Mosaic has a proven track record of addressing unmet needs of underserved neighborhoods in Philadelphia through thoughtful, community-first programs that reduce disparities while creating vibrant new places. Our experience in equitable development — specifically in neighborhoods that have been harmed or neglected for decades — can be seen in the Sharswood project in North Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Navy Yard, where our partners include the 76ers.

Projects like these demonstrate the positive impact that can be realized when the community’s interests are respected by the developer. We ask for the opportunity to engage all our neighbors thoughtfully so that we can work together to find solutions to long-standing problems, celebrate the legacy of our neighborhoods, and build an arena that all of Philadelphia can enjoy.

David Gould is the chief diversity and impact officer at the 76ers. Greg Reaves is the CEO of Mosaic Development Partners.