Retired Philadelphia Eagle phenom expresses disdain for the project while advocating for South Philadelphia as the team’s home base.
Retired Philadelphia Eagle Jason Kelce has voiced strong opposition to the proposed Sixers’ plan for a new arena in Center City, near Chinatown, highlighting concerns over community impact and ownership behavior. During a recent appearance on WIP, Kelce acknowledged that while the arena may be appreciated in a decade, his current feelings are far from positive. “But right now, I really hate it,” he stated, emphasizing his discontent just a day after Mayor Cherelle L. Parker publicly endorsed the proposal amidst protests from local residents.
Kelce, who spent 13 seasons playing next to the Wells Fargo Center, likened the Sixers’ owners to former Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell, who controversially moved the team to Baltimore after failing to secure public funding for a new stadium. “They’re strong-arming the city, what do you do? Do you risk losing the Sixers? It just sucks!” he lamented, expressing frustration over what he sees as disrespectful treatment of the city and its dedicated fans.
The proposal has drawn criticism from various community groups, particularly in Chinatown, where residents fear displacement and economic downturn. Kelce echoed these concerns, referencing the city’s own impact studies that predict significant losses for half of the neighborhood’s small businesses, with only one in five likely to benefit from the new development.
In light of this controversy, the Sixers have also entertained a proposal from New Jersey, offering up to $800 million in tax incentives to relocate the arena to Camden. A spokesperson for the Sixers described it as a “thoughtful and compelling vision for the revitalization and economic growth of Camden,” but Kelce saw this as another form of intimidation towards Philadelphia fans who have supported the team through thick and thin.
Kelce has expressed a clear preference for the Sixers to remain in South Philadelphia and would support a new arena built in that area, asserting that “the renting thing isn’t fair to them.” As the debate continues, Parker is set to reveal more details of her negotiated agreement, which reportedly includes a $50 million community-benefit agreement. However, the proposal still requires City Council approval, and local activists, like Debbie Wei of Asians American United, have vowed to maintain their opposition. Wei, in response to Kelce’s remarks, affirmed the community’s resilience, stating, “it won’t be built because Chinatown always dominates the line of scrimmage.”
