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Sixers Arena Legislation Could Include Performance Clause and Other Accountability Measures
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Councilman Mark Squilla’s district is the location of the proposed Center City Sixers arena. At a town hall meeting in Washington Square West on Monday night, he spoke about adding some pieces to the legislation, as explained here by the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Paul Schwedelson:
Squilla referred to a “performance clause” that could be included in legislation that would include consequences if the Sixers don’t meet their goals.
Washington Square West residents at Monday’s town hall meeting raised concerns about the transportation flow at the proposed arena, and Squilla agreed their concerns are valid and need to be addressed.
“If this doesn’t work, if there’s not enough oversight to make sure that the plans are going to be in place for transit, for parking, for street access, it’s not going to benefit anybody,” Squilla said. “It’s not even going to benefit the arena. That’s where our concentration right now is, to see what we could possibly put in to make sure that these concerns we’re hearing, and we’ve been hearing for two and a half years, are being addressed as part of the legislation or community benefits agreement.”
Squilla talked about possible fines if, for instance, less than 40% of fans are taking public transportation to the games. He also mentioned the team paying for additional trains to run to and from the arena for games and other non-sport events. Schwedelson reports that Squilla also suggested an oversight committee that includes SEPTA, Jefferson Health, and other local groups, to make sure the Sixers are delivering on arena promises.
These are safeguards to make sure expectations are delivered. Seems pretty straightforward. The arena has been a controversial topic, and if it goes through, the next order of business is to make sure all involved parties do what they said they were going to do. The Sixers can’t exactly force drivers to get on the train, or vice versa, but they can incentivize it, and the strength of the proposal is centered on mass transit anyway. It’s just not going to work if every idiot from the suburbs gets in a car and descends on Center City. But the good news is that there will be seven years to prepare, and maybe by that point SEPTA resembles something of a funded and functional organization. If anything, you’d hope 76 Place might catalyze mass transit improvements in Center City.
The way the political process works is that Squilla will introduce the legislation, soon, and then city council votes, twice. If it clears council, it goes to Mayor Parker’s desk for signature. We’re in a period right now where amendments are being added to the legislation through a series of town halls and other meetings, part of the pre-introduction window for public feedback that Squilla promised two years ago.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com