A 25-story apartment tower is no longer part of the plans for the proposed 76ers arena coming to Center City, according to a report from the Philadelphia Business Journal.
The Philadelphia Sixers originally planned to build the massive $250 million apartment building on the north end of the proposed arena.
“This came as a request from me. Some members of the Chinatown community did not see this as a development that was affordable or benefited them. They thought that the plan was an insult and disingenuous that the developer added the tower for the Chinatown community,” Councilmember Mark Squilla said in a statement to NBC10. “We have agreed to support a 100% affordable project of 30, 50, 60% ami in Chinatown that would benefit the Chinatown community.”
The building would have had 395 apartments with 79 of those being designated for affordable housing.
The plan to bring 76 Place at Market East — a $1.3 billion arena that would be home to the Philadelphia 76ers — to Center City has had a long-winding and contentious history, with many of those who live closest to the proposed location for the arena vocal in their opposition of the arena.
The 76ers will be financing the $1.3 billion project without any funding coming from the city, Mayor Cherelle Parker explained.
Part of the revitalization includes $3 million to support SEPTA and PATCO in an effort to get people to take mass transit to the arena for events and $4.1 million for 21 new security cameras around the area.
The arena does have the support of several groups in Philadelphia including labor unions like IBEW, African American organizations like NAACP, the Black Clergy and the African American Chamber of Commerce.
The groups cite tax revenue and the revitalization of Market Street among their reasons for supporting the project.
The Philadelphia Business Journal is NBC10’s newsgathering partner.
