New Jersey officials are reportedly making a strong push to attract the Philadelphia 76ers to the Garden State as plans for a new arena in Center City face delays.
76ers owner Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment has spent years developing plans for a new arena in Center City. A spokesperson for the Sixers told Action News that the team desires its own arena, and the current issue is determining the location.
With negotiations still uncertain, New Jersey is revisiting its strategy, and Governor Phil Murphy is tackling these discussions with determination.
Discussions for the Philadelphia 76ers moving to New Jersey
Murphy confirmed on Monday that the discussions are ongoing, “It’s real in the sense there’s a serious conversation,” he said.
“We’re blessed with a good relationship with these guys. Both the owners and the professionals who run Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment. … Both of them are already relevant in New Jersey,” he continued.
“We've been observing the lack of progress in Philadelphia and we said, ‘You know what, we're going to raise this with them.' And we're serious about it and they seem to be serious about it,” Murphy added.
The Sixers relocated their practice facility and corporate headquarters to Camden in 2016.
Murphy emphasized his strong connections with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, who also own the Devil, and mentioned that the 76ers have already established their practice facility in Camden.
Potential effects of the new arena
Top state officials and leaders from Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the team’s owner, have been engaged in discussions for the past two months, according to ROI-NJ.
Sources also revealed that discussions have intensified recently, partly because Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment's attempts to build a new arena in Center City Philadelphia have faced repeated obstacles. Despite the owners’ commitment to self-finance the $1.3 billion project, progress has stalled.
Another serious proposal is to build the arena on the East Market Street Corridor, on the edge of Chinatown. This plan continues to face strong opposition from those worried about its potential effects.
“There's a lot of harm that could come from this. There's a lot of ways that Chinatown could be wiped out a lot of folks could lose their homes and businesses,” said the executive director of Asian Americans United, Vivian Chang.
Staying in Philadelphia
As Gov. Jim Florio was about to leave office in 1994, he secured a deal for the Sixers to move to Camden with plans for a new arena. However, the incoming Gov. Christie Whitman rejected the proposal.
In a statement to Action News, a spokesperson for the 76ers remarked, “We remain focused on bringing a state-of-the-art arena to Philadelphia as we have been for the last four years. 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.”
This would enable the team, whose lease at the Wells Fargo Center expires after the 2030-31 season, to move into its new home the following year.
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