76ers pivot, reach deal to build new arena, stay in South Philadelphia

The Philadelphia 76ers spent years battling a well-organized opposition, but in December, they finally received a 12-5 City Council vote to approve a new arena in Center City, adjacent to Philadelphia’s Chinatown.

Monday, Philadelphia announced a sharp change of direction: Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE, official name of the 76ers ownership) are partnering with Comcast Spectacor — the owners of the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers — to go 50-50 on plans to build a state-of-the-art arena in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex close to the current home of the Wells Fargo Center. The new home of the 76ers and Flyers is set to open in 2031 (and possibly a year or so earlier).

“Today’s announcement is great news for the City of Philadelphia,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement, he had worked to help bring this deal together. “I greatly appreciate the leadership of Mayor Parker and Governor Shapiro and the willingness of HBSE and Comcast to join forces, the result of which will be a world-class arena for 76ers and Flyers fans, with opportunities for more teams to come.”

“From the start, we envisioned a project that would be transformative for our city and deliver the type of experience our fans deserve. By coming together with Brian [Roberts, CEO of Comcast ] and Comcast, this partnership ensures Philadelphia will have two developments instead of one, creating more jobs and real, sustainable economic opportunity,” said HBSE’s Josh Harris, David Blitzer, and David Adelman in a statement.

The 76ers’ sudden pivot left some City Council members who had backed the City Center arena feeling used, like they were leveraged to get the deal the team always wanted.

This, however, appears to be the end of the 76ers arena saga, which included both the City Center idea and a flirtation with New Jersey.