The long-awaited studies of the impact of the Philadelphia 76ers’ proposal to build an arena atop SEPTA’s Jefferson Station landed with a thud at City Hall. I am still wading through the 400 pages. This disclaimer from CSL International about the economic impact of a second arena speaks volumes about the credibility of their report.
City Council will be back in session on September 5 and so will opponents of 76 Place. No Arena in Chinatown Solidarity will hold a press conference before they head up to the fourth floor of City Hall for their weekly City Council Watch.
The Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance and Asian Americans United will bring the fire on Saturday, September 7 at a rally and march. In an Instagram post, Asian Americans United wrote:
We’ll rally with voices from diverse Philly neighborhoods then march into Chinatown with the power of the people!
Chinatown, South Philly, West Philly, North Philly, Northwest and Northeast, let’s all come together and tell the developers: MOVE ON! Stop pushing the arena onto communities that don’t want it.
Teachers, doctors, nurses, small business owners, union members, people of faith, students, we all don’t want it! Philadelphia needs a government that spends its time on what the people need, not what billionaires want!
The rally and march will kick off on Saturday, September 7 at 1 p.m.
The billionaire owners of the Philadelphia 76ers are used to calling the shots. So they keep setting deadlines for City Council to give them what they want. First they said they wanted government approvals by June 2023. Then they said December 2023. The wannabe shot callers have set a new deadline of “early September.” A 76ers spokesperson told CBS News Philadelphia:
We remain focused on bringing a state-of-the-art arena to Philadelphia as we have been for the last four years. We are hopeful to reach an agreement with the city this summer to ensure legislation is introduced in early September, which will allow the 76ers to open our new home in time for the 2031-32 NBA season.
The billionaires don’t give a fig that the “independent studies” which they paid for have not been released. They don’t give a fig that Councilmember Mark Squilla repeatedly promised to give the public 30 days’ notice before legislation is introduced.
Squilla said he “expects a yes-or-no decision on the project by the end of the year.” As we approach the dog days of summer, the wannabe shot callers will miss yet another deadline.
A few days after setting the “early September” deadline, 76ers limited partner David Adelman told Marc Zumoff that “our timeline has always been for us to get approvals by the end of this calendar year.” For those keeping count, that’s the fourth deadline.
As expected, the City of Philadelphia appealed the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records’ decision. The appeal is designed to delay release of records related to the Philadelphia 76ers’ proposal to build a basketball arena atop Jefferson Station.
Sixers’ lobbyists began meeting behind closed doors with public officials about 76 Place in April 2022. Nearly two years later, a project the 76ers’ billionaire owners thought would be a slam dunk is far from over. The Philadelphia Inquirer recently reported:
The 76ers’ development team last year twice delayed its self-imposed deadline for winning Council approvals needed to build an arena on East Market Street, such as zoning changes. But it’s more likely than ever that the controversial plan will go before lawmakers before their summer recess at the end of June.
Councilmember Mark Squilla, whose 1st District includes the proposed site, will be at the center of the debate. He has said he doesn’t expect to receive drafts of the legislation until after the city completes its much-anticipated impact studies, which have been delayed and are expected to come out soon. And he has promised to give community groups 30 days to review the legislation before introducing it.
Legislation won’t be introduced until late February or later, meaning it may coincide with budget negotiations.
David Adelman has played the race card to try to stomp out opposition to the 76ers’ transit-oriented project in a city “without a viable transit system.” A self-serving group of jackleg preachers gave 76 Place their blessing.
But in the words of choir director and gospel singer Kirk Franklin, “It ain’t over.”
On her first day in office, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker released her 100-Day Action Plan. Mayor Parker promised to tackle “public safety, stubbornly high poverty, quality-of-life concerns, housing availability, burdens on local businesses, and shortcomings in our educational system.” She took aim at the Philadelphia Land Bank:
We will order a top-to-bottom review of the city’s Land Bank to better understand the challenges of developing vacant, city-owned properties—and work to significantly improve that process.
A review of the Land Bank is long overdue. Under the discredited custom of councilmanic prerogative, district Council members view City-owned land in their district as theirs to dispose as they please. So when I searched for 1517 N 33rd Street, I was not surprised the vacant lot was not in the database.
For years, Strawberry Mansion Community Development Corporation (SMCDC) has been making plans for properties that they do not own, including 1517 N 33rd Street, 1515 N 33rd Street, and 1511 N 33rd Street, the John Coltrane House .
During community events, SMCDC said it “has commitments from the City of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Housing Authority to include two of their properties in the John Coltrane Street improvements!”
Councilmanic prerogative notwithstanding, public property cannot be disposed of with a handshake. The Philadelphia Housing Authority cannot transfer ownership of 1515 N 33rd Street without the approval of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. So I submitted a Right-To-Know Law request to PHA focusing on HUD’s disposition process as detailed in 24 CFR Part 970. PHA’s response:
There was no sale or other transfer or removal of the identified property under Section 18 of the Housing Act of 1937, CFR part 970, and PIH Notice 2021-07.
On November 30, 2023, then-City Councilmember Darrell L. Clarke introduced Resolution No. 230905 “authorizing the Philadelphia Land Bank to execute and deliver to the Philadelphia Housing Authority a deed conveying fee simple title to 1517 N. 33rd Street in the Fifth Councilmanic District of the City of Philadelphia pursuant to Section 16-706 of the Philadelphia Code.” Councilmanic prerogative ensured that no Council member would ask why the City is conveying title to a vacant lot to PHA which owns the adjacent property that has been vacant for decades. Instead, the resolution was fast-tracked for final passage on December 14, 2023.
On the day before the final vote, I submitted a RTKL request to Councilmember Clarke.
The Councilmember invoked his right to a 30-day extension so a response is not due until January 22, 2024. But my RTKL request triggered a response from Clarke: Resolution No. 230905 was among the bills and resolutions that were held from final passage. In other words, the resolution was not approved.
Christmas came early for me. The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records (OOR) issued its final determination in my appeal of SEPTA’s denial of my Right-To-Know Law request for records of SEPTA officials’ communications related to the Philadelphia 76ers’ proposal to build a new arena atop Jefferson Station, aka #76Place. The public transit agency denied my request claiming that it was insufficiently specific and “burdensome.”
The OOR found that the request was partially specific and named names, including billionaire David Adelman, Sixers co-owner and 76 Place hype man, and City Councilmember Mark Squilla.
SEPTA was ordered to conduct a good faith search and turn over responsive records to me by January 20, 2024.
All three of my appeals have been granted in part. Pennsylvania’s Right-To-Know Law sure has been good to me. Merry Christmas, baby.
PHL Watchdog 