The Abolitionist Law Center joins our community partners in opposing the construction of a 76ers arena in Center City, which stands to bring disruption and destruction to the residents of Chinatown. This vibrant cultural enclave should not be sacrificed for deceptive promises of economic stimulus that mask the real intent to steer more money to billionaires.

This arena presents a textbook example of gentrification. Chinatowns across the U.S. serve as vital neighborhoods, preserving the heritage, traditions, and identity of Asian immigrants and their descendants. Historically, they have provided safe spaces for community building and cultural expression amid systemic racism and exclusion. But they have also been frequent targets for predatory development; Philadelphia’s Chinatown is no exception. From the Center City Commuter Connection to the Vine Street expressway to the Convention Center, the city has continually tried to shrink Chinatown. The 76ers arena is but the latest in these attempts, and as we can see from other cities, these corporate projects destroy local Chinatown businesses and residents’ quality of life. The construction of the arena will decimate Chinatown’s historical significance and the livelihoods of the communities that have long called this neighborhood home.

We believe community well-being should be valued over corporate profits. Mayor Parker and the billionaires pushing the arena rely on the supposed promise of jobs and economic development as justification. But this distorts the truth: the proposed arena would primarily benefit the 1%, not the city at large. Developers behind the arena will not pay property taxes. And while a handful of wealthy capitalists might benefit from the crowds the arena would draw, smaller businesses are likely to suffer. There is “near-universal consensus” among researchers that sports stadiums do not boost local economies: they don’t create jobs, nor do they spur local development or tax revenues. So, while the arena is touted as an economic boost, the real profits will likely flow to owners and investors, destroying local communities in its path and further exacerbating inequality.

It is significant that the majority of Philadelphians oppose the arena. And solidarity is being forged by grassroots groups pushing for housing justice, such as the Coalition to Save UC Townhomes. We must unite in the fight to preserve working class and culturally significant housing in our communities. 

We will not allow billionaires to divide our city with false narratives and empty promises. The messaging behind the 76ers arena has attempted to pit Black and Asian communities against one another. Rather than fall for this age-old tactic, we must realize the power of our collective solidarity, especially in the face of the economically powerful few. 

ALC opposes the arena in Chinatown and calls on our movement partners and community members to join the resistance to this project being led by the Save Chinatown Coalition.