Parker’s decision comes a week after she chaired a spirited community meeting filled with opponents and supporters of the arena project. The mayor did not take a public position during the meeting.
The Sixers have proposed building a new arena called “76 Place” between 10th and 11th streets in the city’s Market East neighborhood, which would replace about a third of the struggling Fashion District mall.
The 18,500-seat facility would include retail on the ground floor and host not only sporting events, but also live performances and community gatherings.
The project is now priced at $1.55 billion, after the organization added a 20-story residential tower to its plans last year. The Sixers are offering a $50 million community benefits deal in exchange.
While it initially billed the project as entirely privately funded, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported earlier this month that the organization wanted retroactive grants, if Comcast Spectacor’s South Philly Sports Complex and other similar projects received economic incentives.
The proposal has met with some opposition from the neighboring Chinatown community, where activists and local residents have said the arena and development of the area would have a detrimental impact on the neighborhood’s historic culture and identity.
