New Comcast Spectacor, Sixers arena plans remain a mystery
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Top city officials appear in no rush to fast-track the new Comcast Spectacor and Sixers arena in South Philly.
Why it matters: The clock is ticking for developers to obtain needed legislative approvals as they aim for a potential 2030 open date when Philadelphia's new WNBA team arrives.
State of play: City legislators currently have no timeline for putting forward needed legislation to build the new arena, Vincent Thompson, a spokesperson for Council President Kenyatta Johnson, tells Axios.
- Required approvals from City Council will include a new community benefits agreement with the developers — which would outline investments and other pledges in exchange for building the arena — and likely zoning changes.
What they're saying: "At the appropriate time, ... Johnson and his legislative team will actively collaborate with Mayor Cherelle L. Parker's Administration on drafting any legislation related to the Sixers arena before it is introduced in City Council," Thompson said.
- He declined to say if Johnson is actively in talks with Spectacor and the Sixers about the arena.
Worth noting: The Parker administration, Spectacor and Sixers declined comment.
- Gov. Josh Shapiro's administration is "fully invested in Philadelphia's future growth and success," spokesperson Kayla Anderson told Axios. She didn't address questions regarding the state's role in the project and whether incentives or tax breaks will be involved.
Reality check: The developers still have time to win city approvals.
- For example: Lincoln Financial Field took roughly 28 months to construct, while Citizens Bank Park took nearly three years to complete.
- Yes, but: Those projects were pre-pandemic and before mounting uncertainty around tariffs and supply chains.
Behind the scenes: Johnson will hold enormous influence over the arena development, and likely will be heavily involved in a community benefits agreement.
- As council president, he controls the flow of legislation that City Council takes up.
- And as the representative for the area where the arena will go, Johnson has practically sole discretion over land-use decisions there via an unwritten rule known as "councilmanic prerogative."
The intrigue: Parker has kept unusually mum on the new arena since January, when Spectacor and the Sixers shocked everyone — and went behind the mayor's back — to strike a deal to keep the 76ers in South Philly and canceled the team's bid for a Center City arena.
- Last year, Parker burned through significant political capital backing the controversial Center City arena proposal.
What we don't know: Spectacor and the Sixers have yet to release conceptual designs for a new arena, its precise location and the deadline for having city approvals in hand.
- And questions remain about how the new arena will fit into Spectacor and its partners' $2.5-billion plan to transform the sports complex.