Some Philadelphians believe that Center City Philadelphia cannot handle such traffic as it is packed with over 10,000 people per day including local shoppers, students, tourists, workers, and the list goes on. While others believe it will increase foot traffic due to parking and backed traffic, this will create a lot of traffic jams and hectic days. Do we really want to return from a winning game to a ticketed or booted vehicle or deal with the chaos the trains offer? 

Developers claim to have a fix for this situation; as of now they are in the process of receiving “Entitlements and Approvals,” but come 2031 they will create a service by the name of “Direct Train Access” which will connect to all major train lines. This is also convenient if you prefer a shorter ride or want to avoid driving altogether. For die hard 76er fans who never want to leave the stadium or people looking for a fun and exotic place to reside, they are also adding their residential stay project. This will be a great addition to the arena, but how beneficial do you believe this project is for the neighborhood? 

Architecturally, the buildings blueprint and interior designs are like none other in the area. A very modern building with an interior full of adult entertainment, from retail shops to bars, the plan is much greater than a basketball arena. Philadelphia will stand out and give the 76ers a fresh start to independence! 

Could David Adelman, Mosaic Development Partners, & the rest of the collaborating partners potentially be the newest and improved influential entrepreneurs in Philadelphia’s Sports and Entertainment architecture industry of the 21st century? 

If I must read one more article in support of erecting a new arena for the 76ers, the Philadelphia professional basketball team, plopped right in between 10^th and 11^th on Market Street, bordering the beloved Chinatown, one more article! I will cry in the horror that is gentrification. The $1.55 billion for the Sixers arena has been proposed to begin construction in 2026. This arena will take up a third of the Fashion district and Greyhound station. The community has met this proposal with backlash; 90% are not in favor. Chinatown is a vibrant neighborhood, a community of immigrants, working class families and businesses. As well as community support and programs. As much as these rich developers make big promises, the reality is far different from what they say. 

Multiple generations of families reside along, near and within Chinatown. Chinatown is the corner of the city where Asian immigrants made it their own: a gem to find Asian grocery goods, delicious cuisine, and family restaurants. Putting a giant arena right next to the neighborhood will displace families and businesses, further gentrifying the community. Having already lost property to the Vine Street Expressway and the Convention Center, Chinatown will not have the same charm that it holds in Center City, since new developments are under construction in the surrounding area.  Throughout Philadelphia, gentrification has gradually changed neighborhoods that were much more affordable, Displacing families around the city, as Philadelphia became luxurious. This is not the first idea of building an arena in a Chinatown neighborhood. 

In 1997, the Washington D.C. Chinatown neighborhood was flourishing, only to deteriorate after the construction of their sports arena. Families were subsequently forced to sell their homes as real estate taxes increased. Private developers took over properties despite promises of reasonable value. Families left their homes, and local businesses closed, with no gain to their assets. The many mom and pop shops, everything wonderful of the neighborhood did not survive; people did not go shopping anymore. Their Chinatown became a shadow and tourism did not save it. What once showed a vibrant, established community of businesses for Asian immigrants now became condominiums and apartments that sell for 350,000 to 550,000 per unit. If we do not push back against the arena and find a new plan to build it elsewhere, Chinatown will be gone. Everything special and lively of that immigrant community will not survive. Developers say that it will increase foot traffic and business sales. That is not true. I really doubt basketball fans will get a good bowl of ramen, especially since the arena would have its own drinks and food. It will only make it harder for the regulars to go back into their community, once local family businesses struggle. No one will travel the same there; imagine the flocking crowds of fans packing the Center City streets, herding between parking garages and the arena.  

David Adelman is the billionaire proposing the arena, along with other developers. In an interview with Billy Penn at Whyy, they promised to keep Chinatown intact; “people can use public transit to get to the arena or public parking. We need the jobs.” They say this, not realizing they will leave a community to struggle even more than it already has from development after development. What is funnier is that David Adelman and developers even proposed an “affordable” apartment complex. How about the surrounding families and their raised property taxes or rent? Raising an apartment complex that will be affordable to few and the rest of the community will still be shoved out? That is what would happen next if the arena is built. Their promises are not backed up and the immigrant community’s interests are not factored into the plans for this arena construction. In the D.C Chinatown, the higher rent continues to displace immigrants, 10% of Asians live in community now. Without enough parking for the people already living in Chinatown, the businesses and economy will collapse. A safe community for Asian immigrants to get their goods and comfortably communicate in their language is valuable for any immigrant in the United States. Places like Chinatown give the city a taste of their traditional food, history on how people settled there, and what the community can become in the future will disappear. The proposed arena will ruin Chinatown and the businesses that stand there. I love basketball. I just hate this plan. The interests of Asian immigrant families are not of value to billionaires who want to ruin it for everyone else. People must fight to save our Chinatown. Philadelphia stands with the residents that live there, supporting the local businesses, because unlike what the developers say, this part of the city is not ragged. It has life, people, and chaos that is Chinatown. Do not let Philadelphia’s Chinatown deteriorate… Preserving the culture, history, and heritage is so important for young Asian Americans. Chinatown must be protected. Philadelphia has so many other locations where the arena can be built, but not on 10^th and 11^th on Market Street.

Gammage, J. (2023, November 11). First Glimpse into the Sixers Arena Studies shows a Chinatown Grappling with Higher taxes and Rent. Retrieved from The Philadelphia Inquirer: https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/sixers-arena-consultant-chinatown-community-impact-20231111.html

Gammage, J., & Mikati, M. (2022, December 15). Chinatown residents loudly denounce Sixers arena proposal at contentious meetings. Retrieved from The Philadelphia Inquirer: https://www.inquirer.com/news/chinatown-sixers-arena-basketball-gentrification-20221215.html

Guey-Lee, H., Moy, E., & Lee, J. (2023, December 3). An arena destroyed D.C. Chinatown. Don’t make the same Mistake in Philly. Retrieved from The Philadelphia Inquirer: https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/chinatown-sixers-arena-development-dc-philadelphia-20221014.html

Prihar, A. (2022, July 2022). Who’s Involved? What is the Timeline? What is the timeline? All the details about the Sixers’ plan for a Center City arena. Retrieved from BillyPenn Whyy: https://billypenn.com/2022/07/21/sixers-76-place-center-city-arena-proposal/