New Jersey officials vying for Philadelphia 76ers to open new arena in Garden State

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Leaders in New Jersey are in talks with the 76ers, hoping to convince them to move across the Delaware River to the Garden State.

It comes amid stalled plans for the proposed Sixers arena in Center City Philadelphia.

A spokesperson for the Sixers told Action News they want their own arena, and now it’s just a matter of where.

Philadelphia 76ers owner, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, has been working for years on proposals to build a new arena in Center City.

But with negotiations still up in the air, New Jersey is once again drawing up a game plan.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy says he’s approaching these conversations with conviction.

“We’re blessed with a good relationship with these guys, both the owners and the professionals who run the Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, and they own the Devils and the Sixers among other assets,” said Murphy.

The Sixers already moved their practice facility and corporate headquarters to Camden in 2016.

“We’ve been observing the lack of progress in Philadelphia and we said, ‘You know what, we’re going to raise this with them.’ And we’re serious about it and they seem to be serious about it,” said Murphy.

Another serious conversation has been putting the arena on the East Market Street Corridor, which would stand on the edge of Chinatown.

It continues to remain a concern among those who oppose it.

“There’s a lot of harm that could come from this. There’s a lot of ways that Chinatown could be wiped out a lot of folks could lose their homes and businesses,” said Vivian Chang, the executive director of Asian Americans United.

In a statement sent to Action News, a 76ers spokesperson said:

“We remain focused on bringing a state-of-the-art arena to Philadelphia as we have been for the last four years. We are hopeful to reach an agreement with the city this summer to ensure legislation is introduced in early September, which will allow the 76ers to open our new home in time for the 2031-32 NBA season.”

Fans we spoke with say they want the team to stay in Philadelphia.

“I love the Sixers, I don’t love the prospect of them leaving Philadelphia and moving to New Jersey,” said Sean Dalton from Manayunk.

“I’m not going to Jersey and neither should they,” said Tim Levy from Erdenheim.

The team’s spokesperson says their goal is to stay in the city, they just have to strike the right deal, and time is ticking.