What a weekend. Unless you've been living under a Rocky statue, you know that the Philadelphia 76ers spent the last two years wrangling with the city trying to get a new arena complex approved and built at Market East in time for the end of their lease with Comcast in South Philly. The only problem was that almost nobody wanted it except for the billionaire executives at the Sixers.
Without additional funding for upgrades, SEPTA was not ready to accommodate the estimated 40 percent of stadium-goers who would be required to arrive by train to make the project viable from a parking and traffic perspective. A coalition of Asian American activists and allies pointed out the plan's historic threats to Chinatown alongside other adjacent neighborhoods. Doctors at nearby Jefferson Hospital pointed out that gridlock stadium traffic in Center City would strand dying patients in ambulances. By some counts, up to 70 percent of Philadelphians at large opposed the whole idea.
But that didn't matter to Mayor Parker and 12 members of City Council, who rushed a huge legislative package that officially greenlit the new arena in December. And then, last weekend, the Sixers reconciled with Comcast and walked away, shocking their allies in City Hall.
Monday morning's press conference was interesting, to say the least: an hour-long mess of pandering, false buoyancy, and clumsy misdirection. The mayor opened the floor to only a handful of reporters. We at BSR are sharply interested in the cultural and political implications of this debacle--and whatever comes next. Today, we share our questions with you, and we want to hear yours.
In other news, we're heading to East Passyunk for a look at a typewriter shop that is thriving in the year 2025, reviewing the latest from Variant 6, and covering the Philly stop of MJ the Musical, onstage at the Academy of Music through Sunday.
Kyle will be with you tomorrow to kick off your weekend planning, and we'll all hope for warmer days soon. If you're struggling with the looming inauguration, be sure to read (or re-read) our piece about the values we hold in this community, and how we will not stop fighting for them.
Alaina Johns
BSR editor-in-chief