Philadelphia, PA – September 7, 2024 – Today State Senator Nikil Saval (D–Philadelphia) joined more than a thousand people at a rally and march through Center City against the proposed Sixers arena in Chinatown. The event was organized by the Save Chinatown Coalition, a group of more than 245 organizations united to support the vibrant 150-year-old community.
Joining his voice with those he represents, Senator Saval issued the following statement:
“All of us, no matter where we’re from, what language we speak, or how much money we have, deserve healthy, thriving communities where we can know that we are welcome and that we belong. For people throughout our city and the surrounding region, Chinatown is this place.
“Plans to build an arena in the heart of our city pose an existential threat to Chinatown and the neighborhoods around it. People who live in Chinatown, who love Chinatown, and who refuse to let their neighbors be forced out don’t want this community sacrificed for the sake of increasing the wealth of a few billionaires who have demonstrated that they care about our city only in terms of how much profit they can extract from it.
“My constituents have expressed their opposition at community meetings at my office and events throughout my district. As an elected representative, it is my honor, my privilege, and my responsibility to ensure that their voices are represented in the decisions that affect them, especially a working-class community of color whose core identity is at risk and whose members will face the displacement of their businesses and the loss of their homes. Philadelphia does not want an arena in Chinatown. On behalf of my neighbors and constituents and all who support the community, I oppose this project.
“The Chinatown community has been sliced by the Vine Street Expressway, compressed by the Convention Center, and threatened over and over by development that offers nothing to those who love it. The residents have successfully fought against proposals for a federal prison, two casinos, and a baseball stadium. Each time, the community has come together to defend their home. And each time, our city has risen up to support them. We must join together and do it again.
“Chinatown has real material needs; this project speaks to none of them. Any focus on this incredible community should take a true accounting of the needs and hopes and dreams of its members. I am proud to fight alongside members of the Save Chinatown Coalition on behalf of this vibrant and beloved and singular community. I hope all who care about our city will add their efforts and join in solidarity.”
Saval represents Pennsylvania’s First Senatorial District, which extends from Kensington at the northern end to the Philadelphia Airport at the southern end. His district includes Chinatown and the sports complex, where Philadelphia’s professional sports facilities are currently located. It is one of the most racially, culturally, and ethnically diverse districts in the Commonwealth. Saval is the first South Asian to serve in Pennsylvania’s Senate.
The Philadelphia 76ers first proposed situating their new arena in Chinatown in 2022. The proposal was met with immediate opposition from Chinatown residents and business owners. Consultants hired to complete a community impact assessment recently released their findings, concluding that “Because Chinatown is a unique and interconnected system, significant impacts to small businesses or transportation capacity could affect the whole community. These impacts may trigger a cascade of indirect impacts throughout the system, which would potentially result in a loss of Chinatown’s core identity.”