Now that Councilmember Mark Squilla has introduced the package of bills for the proposed 76 Place arena, the battle begins. And if what happened in City Council last Thursday is any indication, it’s going to be a long one.
By Denise Clay-Murray
Shortly before last Thursday’s Philadelphia City Council meeting, all the reporters on the City Hall press list got a press release from Council President Kenyatta Johnson’s office.
Top and left photos: Passions on both sides of the issue ran high during last Thursday’s City Council meeting. (Photos/Denise Clay-Murray)
Vincent Thompson, the Council president’s director of communications, told reporters that because Councilmember Mark Squilla may introduce the legislation governing 76 Place, the proposed stadium for Your Philadelphia 76ers, you should be there at 9 a.m. sharp on Thursdays to get a seat.
(Former announcer Marc Zumoff’s voice has been ringing in my ears throughout this entire process.)
Thompson also let the room filled with protestors on both sides of the 76 Place debate know that there were two rules of engagement: No hanging protest signs from the balcony and no shouting things from the audience while Council is in session.
The minute that City Council clerk read the package of bills that Mayor Cherelle Parker sent to Council for Squilla to introduce, those rules went out the window.
Through dueling chants of “No Arena” and “Build It,” the Save Chinatown Coalition, dressed in t-shirts with a revised Sixers logo that said, “No Arena,” and members of the Philadelphia Building Trades wearing t-shirts that said, “We Build Philly,” both sides made their feelings known, despite Johnson’s attempts to restore order. Signs saying, “Flagrant Foul: $400 M Billionaires Handouts” and “Say No To Billionaires, Say Yes To Philly,” were hung from the balcony.
(Somewhere, former Council President Darrell Clarke is saying, “Glad it ain’t me…”)
Members of the Philadelphia Police Department’s Civil Affairs Unit and the Philadelphia stood by as Johnson allowed people to express their First Amendment rights. But when his attempts to restore order were met with continued interruption of the Council session, they took some protestors out of the chamber.
But the protests continued in the hallway.
While the bulk of the bills Squilla introduced resembled those presented by the mayor in a very (very) long presentation held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center a little over a month ago, some changes were made.
One was a series of changes to the Community Benefits Agreement. Among those changes is the creation of a zoning overlay for Chinatown designed to cover affordable housing and protect small businesses there. Another change would establish a special services district similar to the Stadium district in South Philadelphia.
To pay for the district — which would cost more than $14 million — Squilla’s version of the bill cuts $6 million in discretionary spending that would have gone to Council, $2.5 million for improvements to recreation centers, $1.5 million for closed circuit TV cameras, $3 million for a small-business lending fund for Chinatown and $1.14 million that was to go for new streetlights.
The 76ers will fund the new district instead, paying $707,500 for 20 years and the team will install streetlights and cameras as the arena is constructed.
Also gone is the apartment building that was supposed to go on top of the arena and include affordable housing. Apparently, Chinatown residents saw the building as a “middle finger” to them, according to Squilla. I’m still trying to figure out the universe in which affordable housing is a middle finger to anyone, but there’s much about this project and how it’s been put together that has me scratching my head. Why not add one more thing?
If what happened last Thursday is any indication, the hearings regarding 76 Place are going to be long and, because folks have already shown that they’re going to hang signs on the balconies and talk during the hearings themselves, well policed. As I said in a previous column, I will be breaking out the muffin pans, because we’re going to need snacks.
And coffee. Lots of coffee.
The Committee of the Whole begins the hearings on Nov. 12. Mayor Parker is hoping that the bills for 76 Place hit her desk shortly after the Council has its final meeting before the winter break.
I wouldn’t bet on that. Council President Johnson said that Council will take its time on this. We’ll see.
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