The Alliance for a Just Philadelphia stands firmly against the proposed development of 76Place, a sports arena that threatens to uproot our cherished Chinatown community. The current development plan and Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) deal being pushed forward is a bad one for all Philadelphians, prioritizing the interests of billionaires over the needs of residents and working people.
Mayor Parker is spending her political capital in her first year as mayor on a project that only serves powerful developers and billionaire interests.. By aligning herself with powerful developers, she is more focused on advancing their interests rather than advocating for the people who live, learn, and work in this city.
City Hall’s fixation on this investment for a select few highlights a troubling trend: a glaring disregard for the pressing issues that affect Black and brown communities. The Alliance for a Just Philadelphia People’s Budget outlines essential services – affordable housing, safety for workers, mental health services, and accessible lib raries & recreation centers – that are being sidelined in favor of a deal that primarily benefits wealthy developers. The Parker-Sixers deal includes a measly annual $6 million that the Sixers would pay in lieu of taxes (PILOTs), losing $400 million in revenue over the 30-year deal that should be paid in property taxes and put towards our public services.
We cannot allow our city to be further impacted by billionaires who have proven they have no interest in the well being of our communities. Leading the proposal for the 76Place arena are David Adelman and Josh Harris, two infamous billionaires who have treated Philly as their playground for decades. Adelman made his fortune by displacing and gentrifying Black and brown neighborhoods, including the Black Bottom in West Philadelphia and beyond. Harris is famous for his private equity’s firm role in shutting down center city’s Hahnemann Hospital, which served mostly low-income patients, to serve his personal gains in owning downtown real estate.
We urge the Mayor and City Council to reconsider their priorities and stand with the people of Philadelphia. We must invest in our communities, not in deals that exploit them. It’s time to champion a vision for Philadelphia that uplifts everyone, especially those most impacted by decisions made in City Hall.