More than 3,000 people marched through the streets of Philadelphia on Saturday to protest their opposition to the construction of the future hall of the Sixers. A year ago, the leaders of Philadelphia announced that they wanted to leave the Wells Fargo Center, their lair since 1996, in particular to become the owner of a new room and thus no longer rent or share it.
Another motivation: to set up in downtown Philadelphia, near Market Street, right in Chinatown. The problem is that the planned works will considerably modify this district, and on Saturday, we could hear chants of “No stadium in the heart of our city” or “Hands off Chinatown”.
Very influential associations
For now, the city authorities have announced that they will ask “an independent and comprehensive assessment” on the construction of this room, supposed to welcome the Sixers in 2031. The objective is to evaluate “building design, impact on community and urban planning, economic impact and on parking and traffic”. Mayor Jim Kenney adds that the project must “works for surrounding communities”which must be “involved and committed at every stage”.
On the side of Chinatown associations, it is recalled that studies show that sports arenas “bring little or no benefit to cities”. Very influential associations since in the past, they prevented the construction of a baseball stadium, two casinos and a federal prison!
Photo: Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance
