Yahoo Sports
Sixers' new arena in Center City has fans torn on viability
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Philadelphia 76ersLiveTodayTomorrowvs--|
Why the Sixers' new arena plan has fans so torn originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
So the Sixers want to move!
Philadelphia's basketball franchise announced its intention Thursday to build a new arena in Center City that would be ready for the 2031-32 NBA season. (2032? That's not a real year.)
The move would represent a sea change for Philadelphians and the way we consume, attend, and interact with our sports. Teams have played in South Philly forever; the Stadium Complex is one of the more defining features of Philly's sporting culture, a one-stop shop for all four major teams in the city's limits.
MORE: Sixers plan to complete new arena in Center City by 2031-32 season
Unsurprisingly, folks are divided on whether the idea - which the franchise said would be privately funded, while not mentioning potential tax breaks from the city of Philadelphia - of lobbing a $1.3 billion behemoth at the corner of 12th & Market is good (revitalizing Center City, providing a central and walkable destination for fans) or bad (traffic nightmare, harder for suburb-dwellers to attend, destroying the Stadium Complex's history).
Here are some of the takes I've seen from Philly sports fans this morning:
"The move would be bad"
There’s nothing wrong with Wells Fargo Center, especially after the renovations. The Sixers owners want their own arena because it’ll inflate the valuation of the franchise when Harris inevitably sells. But people are in favor because of some pipe dream that SEPTA becomes modern.
— Sixto Lezcano (@mleif) July 21, 2022
Josh Harris blowing up the sports complex as we know it is so sad
— Vince | Bell & the Birdmen (@ItsVinceQuinn) July 21, 2022
Terrible idea, I would think the organization would evaluate how much of their season tickets sales, suite owners, etc. come from outside of the city before making a decision like that. Not sure how it wouldn’t be a parking and security nightmare to manage there too.
— G Cards (@GCards87) July 21, 2022
This stinks for people who don’t live in the city that attend games. Parking and access to the venue will be an absolute nightmare. It’s pretty and all, but I’m curious of how it will work. https://t.co/YSSEeuLvHd
— Kei (@RealMamaEagle) July 21, 2022
Nay. Center City traffic is a nightmare already & SEPTA is not a reliable system.
The functionality of a downtown facility has declined, and a surge of visitors taking public transit isn't going to help the city's issues.— DelCo Brian (@DelCo_Brian) July 21, 2022
"The move would be good"
You know what, it’s probably for the best that a major sports arena is accessible by regional rail instead of just the subway.
— Joe Kearns (@JoeKearns_PSU) July 21, 2022
Indisputably.
Not to mention actually walkable for 10s of thousands of potential attendees. https://t.co/Yhj9A2h1yc— Brent Cohen (@EaglesRewind) July 21, 2022
Their website says 29 parking lots with more than enough room are available within half a mile of the stadium (under a 10 min walk). Most people in NJ will probably take PATCO now, actually cutting down the no. of cars coming into the city. Area seems like it could be a win imo
— Dan Kelly (@_dankelly_) July 21, 2022
Love it, will revitalize East Market. People driving will be fine- see flower and auto shows. Plenty of parking. Will be no worse than it is now. And better options pre and post game.
— David (@Enots33) July 21, 2022
I'D say Yay. The city's not paying for it is a plus, even though i thought the water front spot was a bit better. The EL will connect to it for those cold windy days yeah I'd say yes
— Steve Rodriguez (@SteveRo55485794) July 21, 2022
Absolutely electric. Modernize center city
— Jack G (@jguugs) July 21, 2022
"I get it, but..."
1. I don't blame the Sixers for wanting their own arena.
2. Wells Fargo Center is fine. The new upgrades are really nice.
3. Nothing in Philly should be referred to as "fashion district"
4. There's no guarantee that even 9 years from now SEPTA will run a reliable operation— Kevin Kinkead (@Kevin_Kinkead) July 21, 2022
Parking and traffic will be a nightmare but the location is much more convenient for public transit, especially regional rail. I'm kinda on the fence about it.
— Let the Games Begin (@LTGamesBegin) July 21, 2022
As I said on Sunday’s show, it makes sense for 76ers to want their own arena. Control their destiny. Book other events. But trying to move 20K people in & out of Center City at rush hour & 10 pm seems a bad idea. Parking? SEPTA? Good luck.
— Glen Macnow (@RealGlenMacnow) July 21, 2022
Largely, it seems folks are divided on one issue: transportation.
It's true that the arena would be perfectly situated for easy, reliable public transit to and from the games - for those who live in Philadelphia (MFL and BSL), for those who live in the suburbs (Regional Rail), and for those who live in New Jersey (PATCO), not to mention the copious number of buses running around Philly every day.
However, it's also true that a startling number of people who live in Philadelphia and its surrounding regions (and a startling number of people writ large in this country) don't like public transit, or don't trust public transit, or are simply addicted to driving.
Part of that comes from cities that aren't New York City, Washington D.C., Boston, or San Francisco having bad public transit. SEPTA is not exactly a shining beacon of reliability and volume (go look at the time tables for Regional Rail lines after 9 PM and tell me how many families are choosing that option on a weeknight over their car). While the transit authority could improve both problems in the next nine years... there's been nothing stopping them the past nine, or 19, or 29 years and yet here we are.
I see both sides of the aisle here. There are valid points from all around. The Sixers say today that this is their plan. Whether it remains their plan in 2031 isn't clear. But it's going to be a fascinating give-and-take over the next decade as the franchise tries to reshape Philly sports fandom and Center City in one fell swoop.
