City Council passes legislation allowing construction of Sixers arena

Philadelphia City Council Two bills related to the 76ers’ proposed arena were passed Thursday. City centeralthough these measures were mainly procedural in nature and only allowed legislators to continue considering the project.

However, this was the first time that the 17 Council members voted in favor legislation related to the arena project, one of the most controversial measures The city’s Legislature has been mulling this over for years.

Lawmakers voted 11 to 5 to pass two resolutions that essentially give the body the green light to hold hearings on a package of 11 more pieces of legislation related to Arena Sixers. Some members who opposed the legislation criticized the process as rushed. They tried unsuccessfully to delay the adoption of the resolutions.

“I want to make it clear that I am undecided (on the arena), but I do object to this process,” the city councilman said. Jamie Gauthiera progressive Democrat who is considered one of the few potential swing votes.

Most members said they were undecided and that their vote Thursday did not mean their position on the issue was final.

Here’s what you need to know about the law passed Thursday.

What does the legislation do about the Sixers arena?

The council passed two resolutions, each containing companion bills, that will come up for a vote later, likely next month. Resolutions only initiate the process of considering bills. Two related bills would be:

” READ MORE: Councilman Mark Squilla proposes plan to protect Chinatown from being displaced by new Sixers arena

Why did the city council vote for the law now?

State laws and regulations govern TIF districts and neighborhood improvement districts, defining the process the city must use to consider changes to these overlays. Because of this, the Council had to pass resolutions considered Thursday to initiate the process of holding hearings on the bills that would actually make the changes.

Bills and other legislation needed to move forward with the arena project will be considered at a public hearing next month.

How did members vote and why?

Eleven of the 17 Council members voted in favor of the bill Thursday. The five voting no included a trio of members who had previously expressed opposition to the arena: Council members. Kendra Brooks And Nicholas O’Rourkeprogressive Working Families Party, and Councilman Jeffrey “Jay” Young, who represents North Philadelphia5th district.

In a statement, Brooks said there was “no need to hold a procedural vote to satisfy a billionaire owner’s arbitrary deadlines when we have dates set for public comment in two weeks.”

Gauthier, who represents West Philadelphiaand Councilman Rue Landau, a Democrat who represents the city at large. Landau said she was “deeply concerned about how quickly this process is moving.”

” READ MORE: Five things to know about the proposed 76ers arena deal negotiated by Mayor Parker

City Council Member Mark Skillawho represents the district where the arena will be located and is the main sponsor of legislation related to the project, was absent Thursday and did not vote.

Other undecided members said Thursday’s vote was purely procedural.

“Today’s vote is not a real arena vote or anything like that,” Democratic Majority Leader Isiah Thomas said.

What did opponents and supporters of the arena say about the bill?

A sizable contingent of arena opponents attended Thursday’s council meeting wearing “no arena” shirts and holding signs that read “don’t play.” Many were there on behalf Chinatowna historic district that will be adjacent to the new arena.

More than a dozen people testified against the opposition, most of whom said the process was rushed. One speaker said the Council was trying to “shove this beast down our throats.”

“You’re looking at the beginning of a process where legislation is moving forward without consent or any community buy-in,” said Jenny Zhang, a Chinatown resident and organizer with the Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance.

Perhaps the most poignant testimony came from Debbie Wei, a longtime activist who opposes the arena project and who was removed from Council chambers by sheriff’s deputies last week for chanting and waving signs during the legislative session.

Wei, who was cited last week but not arrested, said Thursday that she was “treated like a target.” She added that when she returned to City Hall on Thursday morning, a security officer asked her if she would “behave.”

“I have never been treated with such disrespect, and I have protested in these chambers for decades,” Wei said. “This is exactly how Chinatown and communities across the city have been treated: literally kicked out of here while you roll out the red carpet and speed up a process you don’t understand for a group of billionaires who will never live here.”

Some of the most visible supporters of the arena project were not present at the Council Thursday, namely members of the Philadelphia Building and Construction Council, who often attended meetings wearing T-shirts in support of the arena.

Jeremy Blatstein, a real estate developer, spoke in support of the legislation, saying it is “the next step toward real change on Market Street.”

“Market Street around the Fashion District is a disadvantaged area and needs to change,” he said. “The arena is what will be the catalyst for that.”

Inquirer staff writer Sean Collins Walsh contributed reporting.