The release of key analyses intended to help Philadelphia officials decide whether to let the Sixers build a $1.55 billion downtown arena is three months behind schedule. And none of the principal agencies involved could say when the studies might be complete. In the meantime, any city government action around the future of a massive Center City development remains in limbo. Councilmember Mark Squilla, a main actor in the contentious debate over the project, said he’s becoming concerned about the delay of the studies. The latest information he received was in mid-February, he said, when representatives of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp., which is overseeing the study process, told him the studies would be done by the end of March. The Sixers have received no update on the publication of the reports, and “the city is in full control of the studies and the timing of their release,” according to Mark Nicastre, a spokesperson for the team on arena matters.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 4/1/2024