Sixers announce next round of public meetings for arena proposal

The Philadelphia 76ers have announced the next round of meetings regarding the proposed arena complex, 76 Place at Market East, slotted for downtown Center City, Philadelphia.

The proposal has garnered proponents and opposition as it has continued to develop, but David Gould, 76ers’ chief diversity and impact officer, expressed that listening to the community has been — and will continue to be — monumental in the process as it progresses.

“We have had more than 75 meetings with stakeholders from throughout the city and made several adjustments to our plans based on direct feedback from the community since 76 Place was first announced a year ago. There is more listening to do before 76 Place becomes a reality, and we look forward to making additional updates to our proposal through continued dialogue like these meetings,” said Gould.

“When we announced 76 Place last year, it was just an idea. With much more community input and feedback, we are ready to start a broader engagement process to review and consider a more detailed proposal, which we will continue to update through public engagement and, eventually, a legislative process in City Council.”

The meetings will feature a presentation of the overview of the project with attendees given the opportunity to submit questions for members of the 76 Place team to answer during a Q&A portion.

The meeting dates and times are as follows:

Tuesday 8/15, 6-8 p.m.

Thursday 8/17, 6-8 p.m.

Tuesday 8/22, 6-8 p.m. (Mandarin-language meeting)

Tuesday 8/29, 6-8 p.m. (Cantonese-language meeting)

Thursday 8/31, 6-8 p.m.

Important to note, those interested in attending must register in advance at 76place.com, and registration is now open. The full release regarding this wave of meetings can be found here.

Earlier this week, the Sixers released an updated proposal, the most significant update being the inclusion of $250 million mixed-incoming housing including a pledge to designate 20 percent of the units as affordable housing.