‘It isn’t just Chinatown’: Citywide poll shows little support for Sixers arena proposal

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A new citywide poll shows that a majority of residents oppose the Sixers’ proposal to build a new basketball arena in Center City near Chinatown.

The poll, commissioned by the Save Chinatown Coalition, found that 56% of respondents are against the $1.55 billion project, and only 18% support it.

Opposition grew to 69% after respondents were provided “neutral information” about why people support and oppose the development at 10th and Market Streets. The information included the Sixers’ claim that a new arena would revitalize the blocks east of City Hall, and that critics fear the arena will “destroy one of the oldest surviving Chinatowns in the U.S.”

“Registered voters in Philadelphia are paying a great deal of attention to the proposed arena in Center City, and a majority oppose it. And indeed, the more voters hear about the arena, the less they like it,” said pollster Cornell Belcher in a statement.

The results come a day before City Council returns from summer recess, and less than two weeks after the city finally released a group of impact studies designed to guide officials in weighing the value of building a downtown arena.

The controversial project, which would take over a third of the Fashion District mall, needs Council to pass enabling legislation to move forward, including zoning and streets-related ordinances.

Opponents hope the poll can help defeat the Sixers’ proposal by persuading elected officials to vote against the package of bills, which the team says needs to be approved by the end of the year for its timeline to stay intact. The team wants to move into a new arena in 2031, the year its lease ends at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philly.

“It isn’t just Chinatown that is against this arena. The city is fundamentally against this,” said Mohan Seshadri, executive director of the Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance, a prominent member of the Save Chinatown Coalition.

A Sixers spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The poll further shows that just 12% of people think the arena should be a priority for Council and Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration.

About 60% of people want the Sixers to stay in South Philly in general. Almost the same number of people said the Wells Fargo Center is “already in good or excellent condition.” Only 12% said the Center City location was ideal.

Comcast Spectacor, which owns and operates the Wells Fargo Center, also wants the Sixers to remain in the stadium district with the rest of the city’s major sports teams. The company recently completed a $400 million makeover of the Wells Fargo Center and, with help from investors, wants to transform the stadium district into a year-round destination for work and play. 

A top executive also recently met with neighbors in Washington Square West to discuss a proposal to transform part of the Fashion District into a biomedical “Innovation Hub,” according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The poll reflects responses from 704 registered voters in Philadelphia. The survey was conducted between Aug. 22 and Aug. 25.

Belcher’s company also conducted polls for Parker’s mayoral campaign in 2023, as well as Obama for America.