Lawmakers skewer Sixers’ arena proposal during lively hearing

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For nearly four hours Wednesday, Philadelphia City Council members grilled the 76ers about the team’s $1.3 billion proposal to build a new basketball arena in Center City.

It was the second in a series of public hearings on the privately funded arena. Lawmakers raised concerns about the community benefits agreement the Sixers have committed to; post-game public transportation for fans; and an economic opportunity plan designed to diversify the project’s workforce.

Many of their questions were similar to those posed to Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration during a related hearing Tuesday. But council members took an icier tone and appeared far more impatient with team officials, in part because important components of the proposal had yet to be finalized.

“Here we are, we’re ready to figure out what we’re gonna do here, and some of these things really should have been nailed down,” Councilmember Cindy Bass said.

The Sixers say they need Council’s approval before the end of the year if the project is to stay on track.

The team wants to open the 18,500-seat facility in 2031, the year its lease ends at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia. And while it continues to entertain the possibility of moving the project to New Jerseyopening a new arena in the city remains its top priority.

“We are already behind on where we would need to be for this site,” said Alex Kafenbaum, head of development for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Sixers.

The team’s timeline would give lawmakers a total of three weeks to deliberate and decide the fate of the controversial development — unless additional legislative sessions are added to the calendar before the body breaks for the holidays.

For now, the final session is scheduled for Dec. 12.

Sticking points

On Wednesday, lawmakers continued to dissect the community benefits agreement the Sixers negotiated as part of a broader deal with Parker, who has given her full-throated support to the arena.

The legally binding document includes $50 million for an array of citywide initiatives and programs, as well as efforts designed to mitigate concerns raised by neighborhoods that will be directly impacted by the arena, including Chinatownwhere most residents fiercely oppose the arena.

David Gould, Harris Blitzer’s chief corporate affairs officer, told lawmakers the Sixers would not be willing to raise the cap of the CBA.

“Fifty million [dollars] is the number we can support. We can’t go above that,” he said.