These frequently asked questions will be updated as more questions are asked and more answers are made available.
Last Updated: 5/2/2023
In July 2022, 76 Devcorp proposed to build an arena called 76 Place on 10th to 11th street, from Market to Cuthbert (the street behind Greyhound Station). The arena is estimated to cost $1.3 billion and will seat 18,500 people. Many communities in the surrounding area are adamantly opposed to the arena.
The proposed arena site is on 10th to 11th street, from Market to Cuthbert (the street behind Greyhound Station). Currently this land parcel is occupied by a portion of the Fashion District, formerly the Gallery, and Jefferson Station. Cuthbert is a street that runs directly behind the Greyhound station. The Chinatown business, Huge Family Store, is on Cuthbert.
The proposed arena is privately funded by billionaire real-estate developers. While they are not receiving federal funding, they are open to city or state funding and will inherit the tax abatement from The Fashion District. Since it is not federally funded, this means that the developers are not obligated by federal law to do an environmental impact study.
The arena’s developers are open to receive state funding.
In the 1950s, the Vine Street Expressway ripped through Philadelphia Chinatown, knocking down homes, excavating a cemetery, destroying a community garden, and almost tearing down Holy Redeemer Catholic Church and School, which served as one of the neighborhood’s only religious and community gathering spaces. Under the leadership of powerful community organizers, Chinatown was able to petition for an environmental impact study and reduce the scope of the highway build. The expressway continues to be dangerous for the community.
Since the 50s, the Chinatown neighborhood has successfully fought off the development of a federal prison, a casino, and a baseball stadium. Unfortunately, the neighborhood’s growth has been restricted due to development projects such as the Convention Center and The Gallery (now known as The Fashion District.)
Stadiums have one of the shortest lifespans among institutional building types. According to the 76 Place FAQ page answering the question “Why do the 76ers need a new arena?”, the developers admit that arenas only remain in service for 30-40 years. In 2000, the Journal of Economic Perspectives published that the average lifespan of American stadiums is 31 years. This means that the arena would only be in service for a single generation.
An environmental impact study is a report that identifies and assesses how a proposed project might affect the quality of the human environment. Its purpose is to ensure that the proposed project does not negatively impact the surrounding environment and that the property site itself will not have an adverse environmental or health effect on end users. Scope of the study can, and should, include: