Philadelphia 76ers agree to provide SEPTA passes for first-year season ticket holders in arena proposal
Discussions about the Philadelphia 76ers' proposed Center City arena continued in City Council Tuesday and the subject of free transit tickets was raised.
Councilmember Mark Squilla said the team has verbally agreed to provide transit passes with each ticket throughout the first year. But with the Sixers wanting to see 40% of people take SEPTA and PATCO to games and events, Squilla's pushing to have them do that until that 40% mark is hit.
The Sixers said that as of now, the proposal for free transit passes on SEPTA and PATCO is only for season ticket holders in the first year. That doesn't take into account who will pay for the extra $20 million a year SEPTA says it would need to provide extra service to the arena.
"If every year we find out that, even if we're 39%, then you have to provide passes for a whole other year," Squilla said. "This way, it keeps us as a city accountable and keeps the arena people accountable for what plan that we put in place."
Also on Tuesday on Day 5 of hearings, councilmembers were set to take action on two pieces of legislation related to the arena. But Squilla said that both of these bills are meaningless unless the arena bill itself passes.
The first piece dealt with removing a tax program for the site of the arena that's currently given to the Fashion District. The second bill would create a special arena services district from Broad to 8th streets and from Spring Garden to South streets.
The seven-member board of this district would be in charge of taking care of issues that arise and spending money that's allocated in the community benefits agreement.
Squilla said he didn't think however councilmembers voted on these two bills would be indicative of what they think of the arena proposal overall, especially given that if the arena bill fails, these two bills are meaningless.
In a joint statement, Councilmember at-large Rue Landau and Councilmember Jamie Gauthier said they each voted "no" on each pieces of legislation introduced Tuesday.
"We have approached the proposed arena in Market East with open minds and continue to do so," the councilmembers said in a statement. "We recognize the need to revitalize Market East, but throughout the process of hearings and conversations about the proposed arena, we still have too many unanswered questions and significant unaddressed concerns to move any legislation related to this project forward."
City Council is less than a month away from wrapping up its session for the year, and as time winds down on 2024, many lawmakers acknowledge they're going to have to make a decision one way or another at some point on the proposed arena.
Some councilmembers have their minds made up but most feel there is still some negotiating to do.
"I have some serious questions about the SEPTA angle here," Councilmember Mike Driscoll said. "We need the Sixers to pay for the renovations in its entirety. So if we can get closer to that, I'd be leaning yes."
"I mean, the arena is fine in South Philly, it's fine somewhere else, but I think right now, the Center City needs revitalization, but I don't think the arena is it," Councilmember at-large Kendra Brooks said.