In September, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and the Philadelphia 76ers came to an agreement to build an arena on Market and Filbert St., and 10th and 11th St. in Center City Philadelphia known as 76 Place. The stadium is going to cost a reported $1.5 billion as it replaces a part of the dying Fashion District of Philadelphia. The streets 76 Place will be located on are a part of the Market East neighborhood, better known for being located right outside of Chinatown.

Everyone is asking the same question: why? Parker claims the stadium will bring in around $1.3 billion from private investors, and they will keep the people of Chinatown in their considerations. Parker reached an agreement with the 76ers to fork over $50 million for the surrounding neighborhoods as compensation, and yet the displacement of not only neighborhoods but small businesses is not being taken well enough into account.

The stadium is meant to act as the Madison Square Garden of Philadelphia, but disregards the thousands of residents surrounding Center City that will be affected. Rent-costs for many will skyrocket as the area will attract large corporations, small businesses will no longer be able to sustain themselves and may even be forced out, and transit access will become unbearable in the coming years. The plan is shameful and disregards the human rights of people. It is an embarrassment to the city that will be affected. Not to mention traffic will be atrocious, even more than it already is.

A report from CBS News claims 40 percent of stadium-goers don’t rely on public transportation. Intersections throughout Center City will be gridlocked. That is around 8,000 fans and workers. The city is relying on the patience of the Philadelphians, who have none what-so-ever, to not only sit in traffic for what sounds like will be hours on end, but to use public transportation which is not the most glamorous thing in Philadelphia. Most will opt for the more private option.

140 spots are planned to be built accounting for around 600-800 people, which does not even crack the 10 percent mark of stadium capacity. It is a faulty parking plan that excludes the 40 percent of expected drivers who will be entering the stadium. 76 Place is an idea upsetting many that claim that it fails to fully address clear issues put on their front doorstep.

The arena will also include over 700 residential units, adding to the Market East neighborhood and become a part of the stadium area. While it is a way for the area to generate revenue, the plan puts the rich and private investors first while blocking the individual person out of the equation. The only real benefit provided is that it has the potential to revive the Fashion District of Philadelphia which is where 76 Place will be slated.

As many negatives as there are coming with 76 Place, there are of course some positives. According to Mayor Parker, around $1.3 billion of the $1.5 billion cost will be covered by private investors, which fortunately covers most of the cost of the stadium, keeping the city from taking out tax-dollars for 76 Place. Another positive is that around 700 million in tax revenue from the stadium is being handed down to local school districts, and another $53 million will be given to Chinatown and other small businesses in the Market East area. Yet, it still feels as if the city agrees to short term compensation for a problem that will last until 2061, which is when the projected leasing agreement will end for 76 Place.

Another question being asked by some fans is, why move away from the South Philly sports complex? It was the perfect area to direct traffic away from the immense amount of people in Center City Philadelphia — why push it out of the picture? The 76ers organization has come out and stated they want their own stadium away from the conjoined build of the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team, which is expensive to maintain, but in the same sense there are other areas than the middle of Center City to hold their new stadium. In the last few months, another idea has surfaced, proposing the 76ers to move across the Walt Whitman Bridge into Camden, NJ. The proposal from New Jersey moves the 76ers into new territory on the waterfront of the Delaware River. Even though the plan does move away from not only the South Philadelphia sports complex, but Philly entirely. The proposal from New Jersey is to ultimately turn the Camden area into a more glamorous attraction engaging more investors. Although the plan moves the 76ers out of Philly, it keeps most small businesses and local people from being displaced by 76 Place.

The proposal of 76 Place is not there to benefit the people, but rather to ultimate ly benefit investors and the rise of large corporations in the city. Mayor Parker has agreed to push the surrounding people aside by endorsing a deal with little affected areas. The proposed 76 Place reaches the City Councils desk on Oct. 24 and the decision of whether the legislation will be passed or not will be decided then.