Author: PHL Watchdog

Gov. Shapiro Saves SEPTA For Now

With no light at the end of the tunnel, Gov. Josh Shapiro stepped in and temporarily stopped SEPTA from going into a “death spiral.” Shapiro announced that he is transferring $153 million in federal highway capital funds to the beleaguered public transit agency. The one-time infusion of cash will cover this year’s operating budget deficit, and delay dramatic fare increases and service cuts.

Also last week, SEPTA released a draft report about the impact of the Philadelphia 76ers’ proposal to build an arena atop Jefferson Station. The Econsult Solutions Inc. report is the only impact study not paid for by the Sixers. The report debunks the claim that 76 Place would boost SEPTA’s bottom line:

  • Construction of 76 Place will cause significant disruption and cost SEPTA $22 million – $50 million during construction;
  • Additional service to achieve arena’s 40 percent transit share will cost SEPTA $20 million – $25 million annually.

The ESI study and SEPTA officials’ testimony at the arena public hearing should signal the end of the 76 Place saga. But this is Philadelphia where as President-elect Donald Trump infamously said, “bad things happen.” So, City Council could ignore the writing on the wall and pass enabling legislation for the proposed arena. Meanwhile, Mayor Cherelle Parker continues to hold “community meetings” about the project.

Fact is, neither City Council nor Parker will have the last word. 76 Place must be approved by Trump’s Federal Transit Administration. The ESI impact study notes drily: “It is not clear that the FTA will approve the station design as currently proposed.”

Philadelphia 76ers Billionaire Owners Send G Team to City Council Hearing

For more than two years, Philadelphia 76ers co-owner and 76 Place hype man David Adelman crowed that the Sixers’ proposal to build an arena atop SEPTA’s Jefferson Station is a win for the city. Adelman regaled sycophants on X/Twitter and sports podcasters. But the billionaire was a no-show at City Council’s hearing on their proposal. City Councilmember Cindy Bass rightly asked:

Who thought this would be a good idea? I’m suspecting that it’s the owners of the Philadelphia 76ers, none of whom felt the need to come and discuss their vision or concept with us today which is quite inappropriate and disrespectful and just really callous.

The billionaires prefer to discuss their “vision” behind closed doors. So, Adelman sent their G Team – Alex Kafenbaum, senior vice president and head of development for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE owns the Sixers), and David Gould, HSBE’s chief diversity and impact officer.

Kafenbaum and Gould should have been benched. Denise Clay-Murray of The Philadelphia Sunday SUN wrote:

To understand just how badly the first two days of hearings on the proposed arena for your 76ers went for the Parker administration and the Sixers themselves, you’d have to return to your school days.

We all have had that moment where we’re staring at a test and asking ourselves, “How am I going to pass this?” It’s a feeling that usually comes when you don’t study as much as you could have and aren’t quite as prepared as you could have been.

You knew the test was coming. It was clearly marked on the syllabus. You had plenty of time to study for it because the teacher had told you several times that it was coming. You even got a study guide with everything you needed for the test.

[…]

But the only response that Council heard more than “I don’t know” is “No,” which was uttered by Gould and Kafenbaum a lot when it came to the Community Benefits Agreement, the upgrades of SEPTA’s Jefferson Station that would be needed for this project due to the increase in traffic, and just about everything else.

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AccessFest is a virtual conference hosted by Investigative Reporters & Editors. The conference will take place online, October 17-19, 2024. AccessFest “focuses on expanding IRE’s efforts to provide more accessible training centered on belonging, equity, and inclusion in the newsroom and through better news coverage of inequities in the communities journalists serve.”

With 57 sessions, AccessFest covers a wide range of topics, including:

  • Data journalism
  • Investigative reporting tips
  • Diversity and inclusion in newsrooms
  • Covering marginalized communities

As an independent journalist and watchdog, I am particularly interested in the Freelance and Open Records tracks. The full schedule is available here.

To register for AccessFest 2024, go here.

Mayor Parker Outlines Agreement with Philadelphia 76ers

True to form, Mayor Cherelle Parker gave “the people of Chinatown” less than 24 hours’ notice of a public meeting about the Philadelphia 76ers’ proposal to build an arena adjacent to Chinatown. At the meeting, Parker passionately defended her agreement with the Sixers, stating:

Anyone who has any challenges with what is contained in this agreement, you no longer have the Philadelphia 76ers as the villain here. I am Cherelle L. Parker. I am the 100th mayor of the city of Philadelphia. I am proud and take full responsibility for what is included in this agreement.

What Parker seems to miss is that there can be more than one villain in this story.

Parker said this “historic agreement is the best financial deal ever entered into by a Philadelphia mayor for a local sports arena.” Given the city’s track record in negotiations, “the best financial deal” doesn’t automatically mean it’s a good deal.

The Save Chinatown Coalition rightly boycotted the last-minute meeting.

Parker’s message to residents and business owners who view 76 Place as an existential threat:

I want Chinatown’s rich and vibrant community and proud history to not just survive but to thrive. We have the best Chinatown in the United States, and I am committed to working together to support it. This is a chance for new partnership and growth, based on mutual understanding and respect.

Parker’s words ring hollow. The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Chinatown as one of America’s most endangered places in 2023, noting

Historically, residents and supporters of Chinatowns have fought—and continue to fight—large-scale development projects that demand they and other communities of color accept disproportionate harm in the name of progress for all.

After Parker announced a Community Benefits Agreement with the Sixers, which was negotiated without input from the very community facing disproportionate harm, the National Trust released a statement:

The National Trust stands with local coalitions and the majority of Philadelphia residents who oppose the arena abutting Chinatown and will be most impacted by this devastating decision. Time and time again, history has shown us that large-scale planning decisions are made with significant consequences to communities of color. There is still time to chart a new path forward. The National Trust will continue to amplify the grave threat that this poses to one of the oldest intact Chinatown communities in the nation.

Maya Angelou’s words of caution echo here: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”

Months ago, Parker’s Art Commission ignored the zoning code and allowed Midwood Investment and Development to renege on their commitment to preserve the legacy of Henry Minton in public memory.

An elite caterer and financier of the Underground Railroad, Minton hosted figures like Frederick Douglass and John Brown. The developer erased Black history without a word from Parker.

Why should the Save Chinatown Coalition trust Parker to respect their history and cultural heritage?

Mayor Parker Endorses 76ers’ Arena Proposal

With less than 24 hours’ notice to “the People of Chinatown,” Mayor Cherelle L. Parker announced her endorsement of the Philadelphia 76ers’ proposal to build an arena that would abut against the historic neighborhood.

Parker may “hear” the People of Chinatown, but she is not listening. If she were, she would know 76 Place is an existential threat to Chinatown. So, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund threw down the gauntlet: See you in court!

It’s on.