Public hearings on the proposed 76ers arena are set to begin next week.
City Council will host the hearings over eight days. The sessions begin Tuesday, Nov. 12, with administrative testimony, followed by comments from the team on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
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Members of the public will testify the following three weeks. Those hearings are slated for the following dates:
• Tuesday, Nov. 19
• Wednesday, Nov. 20
• Thursday, Nov. 21
• Tuesday, Nov. 26
• Monday, Dec. 2
The last hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 3. No specific testimony has been announced for that day.
All of the hearings are tied to the legislation before City Council, which, if approved, would authorize the construction of the arena on Market Street between 10th and 11th streets. The team plans to start demolition of the existing Greyhound bus terminal and a portion of Fashion District mall on the property in 2026.
The arena plans have generated considerable protest from Chinatown activists, who say the project would displace residents and shutter small businesses. Some health care workers have also voiced concerns about the arena's proximity to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and the impact traffic would have on emergency vehicles.
Most of the legislators on City Council have refused to take a definitive stance on the arena while the hearings unfold. Jim Harrity has voiced clear support for the plans. Kendra Brooks, Nic O'Rourke and Jeffrey Young have come out against them. Mark Squilla, who represents the district where the arena would be built, indicated his endorsement when he introduced the package of arena legislation Oct. 24.
"I wouldn't have introduced it if I didn't think I could vote for it," he said.
Though they remain undecided, Jamie Gauthier and Rue Landau joined their anti-arena colleagues in voting against two bills to schedule the hearings last week, citing concerns over the speed of the process.
"I do feel like there was a lot of confusion by the public and part of this is the speed at which this is moving," Landau said "These are significant proposals that are being put forth to us, and I think we need to make sure there is meaningful time to discuss them."
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