In a neighborhood as vibrant and lively as Chinatown, a dismal overcast has been set with the announcement of an arena proposal. 76 Place was first announced in July of 2022, and if approved, is set to open in 2031. 76 Place which is meant to be a new home for the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team, will be an 18,500-capacity arena and retail center in Market East. However, the construction of the arena encroaches upon many beloved areas of the city, such as Chinatown.
A local business in Chinatown shows support to the Save Chinatown movement.
Chinatown has been faced with several threats of encroachment over the years; in recent history, the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team had plans of opening a new ballpark called Citizens Bank Park Arena in Center City, just a half-mile from where 76 Place is being proposed.
In the spring of 2000, when the Phillies arena proposal sprout, there was a lot of excitement coming from Phillies fans and executives, but ultimately the dream died when they realized that the community of Chinatown was not going out without a fight.
FACTS Charter School in Chinatown stands in place of where the Citizens Bank Park Arena’s parking lot would have been; the school is, among other things, a sign of strength in numbers. Cinthya Hioe is the communications manager at Asian Americans United, which works out of FACTS Charter School, and she has hope that the 76 Place arena will meet the same fate as Citizens Bank Park Arena.
“Every day I walk into [FACTS Charter School] I think, that’s a testament to the work that this community can get done, and that’s where the hope comes from”, Hioe says.
However, there is a daunting reality about 76 Place that is causing concern from Chinatown and Philadelphia residents: an endorsement from Mayor Cherelle Parker.
In early 2024, Mayor Cherelle Parker endorsed the proposal for 76 Place on the grounds of economic growth in an area of financial struggle. She released a Community Benefit Agreement, in which she emphasized the integration of Chinatown into her decision to endorse the arena, but many residents feel that this effort is disingenuous.
“[Asian Americans United] invited Mayor Parker to come tour Chinatown with us multiple times. I think it was at one point we were inviting her on a month-to-month basis back to back: no answer, no word, she never came out”, Hioe says.
Asian Americans United has made a concerted effort in partnership with several other coalition members under the Asian Pacific Islanders Political Alliance, or APIPA, to spread the word about the arena. The Save Chinatown movement has gained traction online, with an Instagram account, and there are now posters plastered all over the neighborhood.
Asian Americans United also started a movement called “Our Chinatown”, which is an effort to highlight the stories of Chinatown residents of all ages; this ranges from stories of how they immigrated to the United States, what it is like to raise children in the neighborhood, stories about their small businesses. The movement has made it a priority to humanize the community.
Asian Americans United started the Our Chinatown movement, with posters canvassing the neighborhood.
Chinatown has been successfully infringed upon in the past– the neighborhood is now a fraction of its original size. That is why it is so vital to preserve what is left of the community. From 2009 to 2015, there was a population growth of 25%, however, a majority of this growth came from college students, pushing original residents out of the neighborhood. Chinatown workers are living further away from where they work, and the native population has decreased by 31% from 2000 to 2017.
Liu, owner of Heng Feng Hand Drawn Noodles, proudly poses in front of his restaurant.
Liu has been a resident of Chinatown for over 30 years since he immigrated to the United States, and opened a business called Heng Feng Hand Drawn Noodles last year.
“Most people here, when we talk together, we know that [if the arena is built], business is going to be slower and the rent is going to go higher and higher”.
Liu’s sentiment is shared throughout Chinatown, with many business owners and workers feeling a definite shift in the culture of the area.
Sun Hee Choi is the owner of Rice and Mix, a restaurant in Center City, Philadelphia. As the owner of a local business for over 10 years, she says that she recognizes the trend of trying to drown out smaller, marginalized voices, as she fell victim to this many times.
“We opened in 2012 in a big location in a prime area. Then, we had to move to a smaller place a few years later, maybe 2016? And then we moved again, I forget how many times,” Sun Hee Choi says.
Choi’s restaurant, although successful in its own right, was traded for large chain businesses coming in, such as a CVS Pharmacy, until it was eventually reduced to half of its original size.
“It’s sad, but it’s all about money”, Choi says.
Choi also has concerns that Rice and Mix, which is located at 12th and Walnut, is going to be negatively affected by 76 Place. The huge amount of tourism that the arena will attract will not only affect Chinatown, but it also may upstage other small businesses in the surrounding area.
However, one thing that Chinatown has that Choi has not had is a community. Community is a vital thing in the fight against 76 Place, and it has proven itself to be a strong defense in the past. Things may look bleak, but they are not hopeless.
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