Philly Chinatown says new 76ers arena plan offers relief, but skepticism remains
A sudden reversal in plans to move the 76ers' arena to near Philadelphia’s Chinatown has left activists breathing a little easier while still feeling some distrust.
After years of protests against a plan to build a new arena for the NBA’s 76ers near Philadelphia’s Chinatown, a sudden reversal in those plans has left the neighborhood’s activists breathing a little easier -- but also feeling a sense of whiplash and distrust.
Organizers, leaders and residents in the area say they’re heartened that the previous plan, which was heavily criticized for its potential to gentrify the Chinatown area and push out Asian American businesses and families, will no longer threaten their community.
But after what many said was a noninclusive process, they also do not trust developers and officials to hear them out in future proposals.
“I was very excited. I feel relief,” said Wei Chen, an organizer with the nonprofit Asian Americans United. “But it was very unexpected. … It was a terrible process, making the community feel more anxious.”
The 76ers did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment. But in a 2022 interview, David Adelman, an entrepreneur who’s leading the arena project for the team, said he had been involving locals in the plans.
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