REPORT: New Jersey Comes Calling, Asks 76ers To Build NBA Arena Across The River
Leaders in New Jersey apparently want the Philadelphia 76ers to build their team’s arena in Camden, hoping team owners will feel the brotherly love across the Delaware River.
Conversations between 76ers owner Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and top New Jersey officials have been ongoing for two months, ROI-NJ reported, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter.
HBSE is still awaiting feedback from Philadelphia leaders about their $1.3B plan to build an 18,000-seat arena in Center City, dubbed 76 Place. The new arena would span from Broad to Seventh streets and South to Market streets, and it would require the demolition of part of the Fashion District Mall.
HBSE created 76Devcorp to lead the charge for the Philadelphia arena, announcing plans to move to Market East near Chinatown two years ago this month. The project has met with a mixed reaction, with many groups concerned the arena could displace local minority groups and hinder traffic. Others support the project, and one neighborhood group took no stance on the matter in recent months.
But the shot clock is running out to get started on the massive project as it is planned. The team's lease at the Wells Fargo Center expires at the end of the 2030-2031 season.
There are a few draws to New Jersey, including plenty of space and time to build an arena. And although the team has announced it would privately fund its Center City project, a move to Camden could ensure $400M in tax credits, thanks to the New Jersey Aspire program.
HBSE also owns the New Jersey Devils NHL team. In addition, the Sixers relocated their offices and practice space to a 66K SF facility in downtown Camden in 2016. A spokesperson for the city of Camden told Bisnow local leaders are talking to the team regularly.
“The 76ers are fully engaged in Camden’s unprecedented revitalization and have been incredible community partners since moving here,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “The city is always open to new opportunities and the potential for new projects, and, of course, any development would need to be a collaborative effort with the community.”
The 76ers have been waiting for months for the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp. to complete independent economic and community impact studies on 76 Place, which many local lawmakers are awaiting before weighing in on the plan. City spokesperson Joe Grace told Axios earlier this month that Mayor Cherelle Parker will decide on the proposal once “all of the due diligence she has requested has been completed.”
In a statement to Bisnow, the NBA team's owner said it wants its home to stay in the city's limits.
“We remain focused on bringing a state-of-the-art arena to Philadelphia as we have been for the last four years,” the statement says. “We are hopeful to reach an agreement with the city this summer to ensure legislation is introduced in early September, which will allow the 76ers to open our new home in time for the 2031-32 NBA season.”
