Sixers arena: Fallout continues after Sixers abrupt about-face on Center City plans

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA - One day after the Sixers scrapped its plan to build a new arena in the Market East neighborhood, communities and organizations involved in the years-long debate are looking back at the experience.

In the heart of Chinatown, on a fading anti-arena poster "We Won" is scrawled. It’s the prevailing view in this bustling community now breathing a collective sigh of relief as the Sixers turn to South Philly for their arena.

What they're saying:

Linh Tran is relieved but wary. She said, "It’s very disheartening. I’m teaching my kids to be proactive citizens. For them to see City Council just completely vote yes to the whole proposal that has so many holes. Even my 16-year-old daughter can see the holes."

Mara Grome was walking through Chinatown on Tuesday morning. She said, "I think Chinatown would have been destroyed. The community itself - most of the buildings would have been compromised. Definitely not worth it for sure."

The backstory:

SEPTA views the move to South Philly as a simple shift to the stadiums where it already moves crowds to sporting events including 17,000 on the Broad Street Line for Sunday’s game. Drawn into the debate over issues of construction and added service, SEPTA was trying to predict the future while its present involves a funding crisis. SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Bush said, "We didn’t see it as being in a bad place. We wanted to be at the table, with the team, the city, and the key stakeholders."

The region’s Black Clergy supported the deal with a promise of jobs for people of color. It expects the Sixers and Comcast to keep those promises but does regret the time lost.

Rev. Dr. Wayne Weathers is the Vice President of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity. He said, "This was like two-year time frame, two-years plus, to see it go back to South Philly. Even though it’s a win-win, a lot of energy could have been utilized in a different manner."

The Sixers' original plan was to build an 18,500-seat arena in the Market East neighborhood, on the edge of Chinatown, and the plan was rolled out by the team more than two years ago.

In public hearings, opponents from Chinatown railed against the plan, while construction unions-in line for jobs-pressed for passage.

"This is not Chinatown against the Black community or the city. This is a chance for the community to have an opportunity they never had before," said Catherine Hicks, NAACP.

The bills to make way for the Sixers plan passed Philadelphia City Council with overwhelming support in mid-December, while opponents dropped leaflets from above City Council Chambers and vowed the fight was not over.

What's next:

The Sixers and Comcast will develop plans for their new construction in South Philadelphia and Market East. Those plans will have to go through an entirely new oversight and approval process by Philadelphia government and City Council.

Brian Roberts, who leads Comcast, said in Monday’s press conference, the paring of the companies could mean the construction of the new arena could be built, "…bigger, better and faster," suggesting, perhaps, possibly before the original plan of a 2031 tipoff.