The Philadelphia 76ers are planning to stay in South Philadelphia in the latest twist in their lengthy quest to build a new arena, according to Jake Blumgart and Sean Collins Walsh of The Philadelphia Inquirer. A new agreement between the 76ers and Comcast Spectacor, owners of the Philadelphia Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center, should end the 76ers’ arena saga. In July 2022, the team announced a proposal for an arena on Market Street in Center City Philadelphia, on the border of the city’s Chinatown. The 76ers — who also flirted with the idea of moving to Camden, N.J. — got key approvals from city lawmakers in December in a contentious vote.
Sunday’s news was a shocking reversal. The 76ers will now work with Comcast Spectacor to build a new arena in the area, according to Ryan Boyer, head of the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council. John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia is reporting that the new arena will be a 50-50 partnership between the 76ers and Flyers. The two teams both currently play at the Wells Fargo Center in the South Philly Stadium Complex, an area the NFL’s Eagles and MLB’s Phillies also call home.
A new arena deal has been a priority for the 76ers for some time. Comcast Spectacor used to own the 76ers, but sold them to Josh Harris in 2011. Comcast kept the Flyers, though, essentially making the 76ers tenants in the Flyers’ arena.
The new model gaining steam across sports is to build stadium districts around the arena that become profit centers in their own right. The Clippers and Warriors, both of whom own their own arenas, are notable examples of this trend. This was seemingly the plan for the 76ers at Market Street. There has also been discussion of development plans at the existing sports complex.
In the process of planning the arena, though, the 76ers faced significant opposition from community groups. Two neighborhoods–Chinatown and Washington Square West — would have bordered the proposed arena and were very much opposed to it due to concerns about traffic and rising costs. A 2024 poll showed that only 18% of Philadelphia residents supported the project. The plan still made it through a City Council vote with the team contributing $60 million to a Community Benefits Agreement over 30 years.
But in the end, the Harris-owned 76ers have decided to stay put. Harris is also the owner of the NFL’s Washington Commanders (and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils), and his football team is looking to get a new stadium in D.C.
