City Council's approval of the planned 76ers arena in Center City on Thursday will set in motion a long path ahead toward building the $1.3 billion project on East Market Street. City leaders who voted in favor of the proposal hope the development will revive one of Philadelphia's historic commercial corridors, but there are many steps that need to be taken before the team projects to debut the arena in 2031.
After the legislative package passed , Councilmember Mark Squilla (D-1st) reflected on the hearings that were held over the past month and looked ahead to what comes next for the project in his district. MORE : Iron Hill Brewery to open its third Philly location at Temple University "This was a complicated process," Squilla said. "We have a lot of strong feelings on both sides of the argument, and I think passion shows through.
When people have passion, that means they care. That's what we want with our residents and the people of the city of Philadelphia. And the concerns are still legitimate.
" Squilla listed a number of steps council will need to take in the year ahead. "We've got a lot of work to do," he said. "We've got to build the arena authority that we created.
We have to set up the transportation plan. We've got to work on the public safety plan that's going to be set up because of the (community benefits agreement)." SEPTA called the project "a massive new investment" that will require a strong public transportation system to meet the demand created by the aren.
