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About those Sixers arena studies ... | Morning Newsletter

And South Street BID troubles.

An electronic billboard for the proposed Sixers arena, 76 Place at Market East on top of the Lits Building, viewed from Market at 8th Street.
An electronic billboard for the proposed Sixers arena, 76 Place at Market East on top of the Lits Building, viewed from Market at 8th Street.Read moreTom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

Good morning. It’s going to be a rainy one in Philly, with high temps around 50 all week. I admire the optimism of the ice cream truck driver who rolled down my block yesterday despite the dreary weather.

A set of studies examining the potential community and economic impact of the Sixers arena proposed for Center City is now months overdue. And South Street revival efforts are stymied by an “uncommon” level of mismanagement by past leadership.

Let’s dig into those stories and more.

— Julie Zeglen (@juliezeglen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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The $1.55 billion Sixers arena proposed for East Market Street is still in limbo.

The latest delay? The release of key reports intended to help Philadelphia lawmakers decide whether to let the team build it is three months behind schedule.

🏀 Catch up quick: The development would put a 18,500-seat arena and 20-floor apartment tower on top of Jefferson Station, with a goal of opening for the 2031 season. The proposal has faced fierce community protest, especially from Chinatown activists who say it would drive out residents and businesses.

🏀 What’s being studied: The city-sponsored analyses will examine how the development would affect surrounding neighborhoods, as well as its potential economic impact — including on the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, which the Sixers would be ditching to play in the new hub.

🏀 What’s causing the delay: A spokesperson for the agency overseeing the studies said they just need more time to ensure the reports are “as thorough and useful as possible.”

🏀 In the meantime: The Sixers are scheduled to face a public hearing before a panel of architecture and planning experts, a process called Civic Design Review, this morning. Expect a show.

“In December the Sixers development team met with the CDR committee during a day-long session, where members of the public barraged the project with criticism,” reporter Jeff Gammage told me. “This time the Sixers are hoping for more public approval, having asked supporters to show up to the online hearing.” (Anyone can attend, using this link.)

Gammage and Sean Collins Walsh have the full story on the arena studies delay, and what comes next.

Civic leaders intent on curbing quality-of-life issues are working alongside steadfast shop owners to restore South Street’s “magic.”

Yet those leaders face significant financial challenges on top of the crime, fires, and water main breaks that have plagued the commercial corridor in recent years, according to a new investigation.

South Street Headhouse District is the neighborhood’s business improvement district charged with sanitation, beautification, and marketing efforts. Some of those efforts have been paused as a new director battles the effects of debt, low cash reserves, a lawsuit, and an “uncommon” level of mismanagement by her predecessor.

Jake Blumgart and Ryan Briggs break it down.

What you should know today

  1. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker announced her picks for the new Philadelphia school board, nominating four sitting board members and five newcomers.

  2. City Council advanced legislation to compel the city to collect and share more data on drug overdoses and homelessness, such as info about people who are repeatedly treated with overdose reversal medication.

  3. Police arrested a man they say fatally stabbed a 30-year-old man on a subway platform at SEPTA’s Somerset Station Monday morning.

  4. Former guards at a Delaware County prison have filed a federal lawsuit saying they were fired without cause amid efforts to undermine their union.

  5. A Friends’ Central Latin teacher accused of having sexual contact with a student “some 20 years ago” has resigned after a school investigation.

  6. Legal marijuana in Pennsylvania could net up to $41 million in tax revenue in its first full year of sales if implemented as proposed in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget plan, a newly released analysis found.

  7. Women are the fastest-growing segment of the incarcerated population — more than 834% over the last 40 years. A new coalition wants to close Philly women’s jails and come up with more meaningful ways for women to do their time.

  8. Frank Mazzuca found retirement boring, so he got a job with the Phillies. The 82-year-old ice cream man nicknamed “Frankie Two Scoops” hasn’t missed a day of work since while becoming a beloved fixture in the press box.

  9. Sixers star Joel Embiid has been out of commission with a knee injury since late January. He’s expected to return this week.

  10. We love a gentle ribbing, like the one Square Pie included in the Atlanta Braves’ pizza order.

🧠 Trivia time

The Philly area is one of the major U.S. metros where households don’t need to make six figures to afford a median-priced home, according to Redfin. How much does the report say the typical household in the region should earn to afford one?

A) $99,500

B) $73,182

C) $61,603

D) $46,168

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we’re...

🌭 Filling: The Dollar Dog Night void with these local eateries’ hot dog bargains.

🌮 Celebrating: South Philly Barbacoa’s 10th birthday and move to a larger spot two doors down.

🤼 Pumped by: This story of a Philly teacher who helped a now-WWE mainstay start his wrestling journey.

🧩 Unscramble the anagram

This Philly org offers digital hardware and software tools to members at its Point Breeze and Kensington makerspaces.

BENT FAX

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Gerry Frank, who solved Monday’s anagram: Schwarbomb. That’s what we call a home run hit by Kyle Schwarber, the Phillies’ designated hitter (no longer a left fielder, as several readers noted). Psst, you can grab a free Schwarbomb beach towel at a game later this season.

Photo of the day

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