76 Place at Market East

Last updated

76 Place at Market East
76ers place logo 3d.png
76ers place rendering.png
Renderings
76 Place at Market East
LocationMarket East District (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Coordinates 39°57′07″N75°09′24″W / 39.952076°N 75.156612°W / 39.952076; -75.156612
Public transit SEPTA.svg 8th Street:
  Broad Street Line Ridge Spur
SEPTA.svg 11th Street: SEPTA.svg Jefferson Station: SEPTA Regional Rail
Aiga bus trans.svg SEPTA.svg SEPTA bus: 17, 23, 33, 38, 44, 45, 47, 47m, 48, 61, 62, 78
Aiga bus trans.svg NJT logo.svg NJ Transit bus: 400, 401, 402, 404, 406, 410, 412, 414, 417, 551, 555
Owner
Operator Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE)
Type Arena
Capacity 18,500
Construction
Opened2031 (planned)
Construction costUS$1.3 billion (proposed)
Architect Gensler
Project manager David Adelman
General contractor AECOM
Tenants
Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) (beginning in 2031)
Website
76place.com

76 Place at Market East is a proposed indoor arena in Center City, Philadelphia. It would be the future home of the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is planned to open in 2031. The arena would be located in Center City on the site of Fashion District Philadelphia near the Market–Frankford Line and Jefferson Station. 76 Place is expected to be privately funded at a cost of $1.3 billion by 76ers owner Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), with real estate developer and HBSE limited partner David Adelman leading the project.

Contents

History

The 76ers' current home, the Wells Fargo Center, opened in 1996. The Wells Fargo Center is part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, which is also home to Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park. [1] The South Philadelphia Sports Complex has been critiqued as lacking access to public transportation—it is only served by the Broad Street Line—and there are little to no nearby restaurants and bars. [1] However, plans to build a Center City arena had been unsuccessful in the past. [2] The Philadelphia Phillies attempted to build a downtown stadium in Chinatown, Philadelphia, but neighbors protested the decision. [2] [3] [4] Eight years later, residents once again protested and blocked the proposed construction of Foxwoods Casino Philadelphia. [3] [4]

The Wells Fargo Center underwent extensive renovations in 2019 and 2020 including the installation of a new 4K resolution scoreboard and expanded luxury suites. [5]

Background

The Wells Fargo Center is owned by Comcast Spectacor, allowing them to profit off secondary events such as concerts instead of 76ers' managing entity, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE). [6] Talk of a new arena increased by the mid-2010s when HBSE began referring to the Wells Fargo Center as just the Center. [7] In 2020, the team proposed a partially publicly-funded plan that would build a new arena at Penn's Landing before being outbid for the site by the Durst Organization. [8]

Fashion District Philadelphia

Fashion District Philadelphia is an indoor shopping mall located along Market Street. Opened in 2019, it is anchored by Burlington, Primark, AMC Theatres, and Round One Entertainment. [9] The Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, which co-owned Fashion District Philadelphia, declared bankruptcy in 2020, and Macerich, the other co-owner took substantial control over the mall's operations. [10] The mall lost a number of tenants due to shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. [10] Macerich endorsed the plan to convert part of Fashion District Philadelphia into an arena and referred to it as a "natural evolution" of the property. [10]

Fashion District Philadelphia was preceded by another indoor mall, Gallery at Market East, which opened in 1977, but by the mid-2000s, had significantly declined as a result of losing a significant number of anchors, which were replaced by lower end stores. It closed in 2015. [11]

Construction

Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), who own and operate the 76ers, hired the architectural firm Gensler to design the arena and the engineering firm AECOM to build it. [2] HBSE limited partner and real estate developer David Adelman is managing the project's development. [2] [6]

Ryan Boyer, the head of the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, praised the planned stadium as having the opportunity to "galvanize the construction industry in Philadelphia." [2] A number of unions in Philadelphia provided high school students internship opportunities during the stadium's construction. [2] Consultants working on the stadium expect as many as 9,000 professionals, trades members and managers to work on the project. [2]

HBSE do not plan to speed up the construction process in order to leave their current lease with the Wells Fargo Center sooner. The arena will replace one-third of Fashion District Philadelphia including the AMC Dine-In movie theater and Round 1 Bowling and Amusement. [6] Groundbreaking on the arena is not expected for several years [12] and has been opposed by local residents and businesses which the arena will displace. [6] HBSE plan to use the site of the Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal on Filbert Street to attract new businesses. [13]

Timeline of construction

Plan as of July 2022: [6]

Funding

HBSE stated the project will be privately funded. [2] However, a previous 30-year agreement that the property taxes for the site will be reduced remains in place through 2035. [2] 76 Devcorp have said they are open to accepting partial funding from the government. [14]

Design

76 Place at Market East is expected to have a capacity of 18,500. [2] The site of the arena was chosen because of its location to a number of public transit options. [12]

Criticism

"Save Chinatown No Arena" posters opposing the proposed arena 20230313SW9THSTARCHST.jpg
"Save Chinatown No Arena" posters opposing the proposed arena

Impact on Chinatown

76 Place at Market East would be located one block from Chinatown. [6] Asian Americans United, a local advocacy group, opposed the arena following the developers release their plans. [6] [15] Steven Zhu, the President of the Chinese Restaurant Association, said in a statement "We know these big sports arenas do not contribute to the neighborhoods that they are in; they serve only their own needs and their own profits." [6] [16] Zhu also used Capital One Arena as a cautionary tale given that the Chinese population and number of Chinese restaurants have declined significantly in Chinatown, Washington, D.C. since the arena's construction. [3]

76 Devcorp has vowed to reach a "public benefits agreement" with neighbors and have met with local organizations including the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp. [6] After months of private closed-door meetings, 76 Devcorp failed to win over community members at the first public meeting organized by more than 20 local community organizations in December 2022. At this public meeting, community members voiced their concerns around traffic, community safety, and parking. [17] [18]

In January 2023, more than 40 Chinatown community groups, nonprofits, and business organizations announced the "Chinatown Coalition to Oppose the Arena". This coalition has the assistance from the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. [19]

In February 2023, some members of the community criticized Hercules Grigos, a lawyer working with the 76ers' development team. Grigos sent Mark Squilla, a member of the Philadelphia City Council, a revised version of a bill to refinance a downtown parking garage that included an unrelated provision that would make it easier to either close or remove from the city grid Filbert Street between 10th and 11th Street, which is in the vicinity of the proposed arena. [20] [21]

Some local residents have criticized the plan as it would demolish a block of the Fashion District. [3] Others highlighted the missed opportunity for investors to fund Philadelphia's poorer neighborhoods rather than Center City. [3] Then-Philadelphia City Councilman David Oh speculated that the plan to build the arena may be smoke and mirrors and an attempt for the 76ers to gain concessions from the Wells Fargo Center's owner, Comcast Spectacor. [13]

Accessibility issues

Howard Eskin, a Philadelphia sports talk radio personality, called the proposal one of the "worst ideas for [a] sports arena." [22] He has argued that the site has little infrastructure for parking and is in a high-crime area, which would dissuade fans from attending the games. [22] Eskin also stated that because of the little parking in the area that the 76ers would ultimately end up having to bus fans from parking lots that are not in walking distance of the stadium to the games. [23]

Geoff Gordon, president of the Live Nation Entertainment Philadelphia chapter, raised concerns that the new stadium would make it hard for fans to tailgate prior to games. [23]

Decline in city and state tax revenue

Sam Katz, a Philadelphia businessman and the Republican nominee for Mayor of Philadelphia in 1999 and 2003 has stated with the exception of Madison Square Garden, no arena located in a city with competing arenas is actually profitable. [24] Therefore, Katz has argued that 76 Place at Market East would be unprofitable and argues this raises suspicions that the developers will look for public funding from the state. [24] Katz has also said that despite the arena being privately-funded, improvements to the infrastructure such as subways to provide transportation for the fans would have to be paid for by the city. [24]

Chinatown residents protesting the planned construction of 76 Place 76Place Protest (cropped).jpg
Chinatown residents protesting the planned construction of 76 Place

A study conducted by Dr. Arthur Acolin, the Bob Filley Endowed Chair in the Department of Real Estate at the University of Washington, found that the construction of 76 Place could cost Pennsylvania and Philadelphia $1 billion in lost tax revenue. [25] Acolin said "under a relatively conservative scenario, there will be some negative impact on existing businesses due to increased congestion, traffic during the construction period, people avoiding the area as some of the streets will be closed and all the traffic patterns will be disrupted..." [25] Acolin predicted that fans would not patronize local businesses before and after the games, but rather concession stands or newer, fancier restaurants that will open along when the arena does. [25] Responding to Acolin's proposal, Bishop Dwayne Royster said that 76 Place will increase income inequality. [25]

Tenants

The arena is designed to be the future home of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers by 2031. [12] Project lead David Adelman said that the venue also plans to host concerts and other sporting events. [12]

Potential tenants

Philadelphia Flyers

HBSE CEO Tad Brown said that the 76ers would welcome the Philadelphia Flyers joining them in the new venture. The Flyers currently play at the Wells Fargo Center as well. Comcast Spectacor owns both the Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center. [1]

WNBA expansion team

The arena could host an expansion team in the Women's National Basketball Association. [26] [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philadelphia 76ers</span> National Basketball Association team in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Philadelphia 76ers, also known as the 76ers and colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at the Wells Fargo Center located in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. Founded in 1946 and originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA and one of only eight of the 23 to survive the league's first decade. The team is owned and managed by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), with founders Josh Harris and David Blitzer acquiring the team in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia)</span> Multi-purpose arena in Pennsylvania, US

The Wells Fargo Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Philadelphia. It serves as the home of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The arena lies at the southwest corner of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, which includes Lincoln Financial Field, Citizens Bank Park, and Xfinity Live!.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spectrum (arena)</span> Former indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Spectrum was an indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The arena opened in September 1967 as part of what is now known as the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. After several expansions of its seating capacity, it accommodated 18,168 for basketball and 17,380 for ice hockey, arena football, indoor soccer, and box lacrosse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 676</span> Highway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania

Interstate 676 (I-676) is an Interstate Highway that serves as a major thoroughfare through Center City Philadelphia, where it is known as the Vine Street Expressway, and Camden, New Jersey, where it is known as the northern segment of the North–South Freeway, as well as the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Highway in honor of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Its western terminus is at I-76 in Philadelphia near the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Fairmount Park. From there, it heads east and is then routed on surface streets near Franklin Square and Independence National Historical Park, home of the Liberty Bell, before crossing the Delaware River on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. On the New Jersey side of the bridge, the highway heads south to its southern terminus at I-76 in Gloucester City near the Walt Whitman Bridge. Between the western terminus and downtown Camden, I-676 is concurrent with U.S. Route 30 (US 30).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fashion District Philadelphia</span> Shopping mall in Pennsylvania, United States

Fashion District Philadelphia is a shopping mall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, located in Center City along Market Street. It opened in 2019 on the site of a previous mall known as The Gallery and later renamed The Gallery at Market East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Snider</span> American sports executive (1933-2016)

Edward Malcolm Snider was an American business executive. He was the chairman of Comcast Spectacor, a Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment company that owns the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League; the Wells Fargo Center; the regional sports network Comcast SportsNet; and Global Spectrum, an international facilities management company. He formerly owned the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association, and ran the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League for a few years in the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prudential Center</span> Multi-purpose indoor arena in Newark, New Jersey, U.S.

Prudential Center is a multipurpose indoor arena in the central business district of Newark, New Jersey, United States. Opened in 2007, it is the home of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball team. By 2023, the arena was among the top five concert venues worldwide by earnings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broad Street (Philadelphia)</span> Thoroughfare in Pennsylvania

Broad Street is a major arterial street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The street runs for approximately 13 miles (21 km), beginning at the intersection of Cheltenham Avenue on the border of Cheltenham Township and the West/East Oak Lane neighborhoods of North Philadelphia to the Philadelphia Navy Yard in South Philadelphia. It is Pennsylvania Route 611 along its entire length with the exception of its northernmost part between Old York Road and Pennsylvania Route 309 and the southernmost part south of Interstate 95.

Comcast Spectacor is an American sports and entertainment company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It owns the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, the Maine Mariners of the ECHL, the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League, the Seoul Infernal of the Overwatch League, and formerly owned the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association. The company owns and manages the Wells Fargo Center and formerly managed the Spectrum in South Philadelphia, plus several community skating rinks in the Philadelphia region. The Comcast SportsNet (CSN) regional sports networks were also owned by Comcast Spectacor prior to parent company Comcast's acquisition of NBCUniversal in January 2011; CSN is now operated through NBC Sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The St. James</span> Luxury residential skyscraper

The St. James is a luxury residential skyscraper in Washington Square West, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The 498 feet (152 m), 45-story high-rise stands along Walnut Street and Washington Square and is the 15th tallest building in Philadelphia.

NBC Sports Philadelphia is an American regional sports network owned by the NBC Sports Group unit of NBCUniversal, which in turn is owned by locally based cable television provider Comcast, and the Philadelphia Phillies. It is the flagship owned-and-operated outlet of NBC Sports Regional Networks. The channel broadcasts regional coverage of professional sports teams in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, as well as college sports events and original sports-related news, discussion and entertainment programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Philadelphia Sports Complex</span> Sports venue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The South Philadelphia Sports Complex is the home of four major Philadelphia professional sports teams. The complex is located in South Philadelphia and is the site of the Wells Fargo Center, home arena for the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers, Lincoln Financial Field, home field for the Philadelphia Eagles, Citizens Bank Park, home field for the Philadelphia Phillies, and Xfinity Live!, a sports retail and entertainment center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suburban Square</span> Shopping mall in Ardmore, Pennsylvania

Suburban Square is a community shopping center in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, United States, in the Main Line suburbs of Philadelphia. it has 355,000-square-foot (33,000 m2) of gross leasable area. The center opened in 1928, and is notable as one of the earliest planned suburban shopping centers in the United States. It has also been generally credited as being the first suburban shopping center to include a true department store, when Strawbridge & Clothier opened a four-story, 50,000 sq ft (4,600 m2) branch there on May 12, 1930. The site has grown from its original 7 acres (28,000 m2) to 18 acres (73,000 m2) since its launch. The complex currently includes Suburban Square, Times Building, and the adjacent Ardmore Farmers Market and features more than sixty retail and dining establishments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Net Resort & Arena</span> Planned entertainment complex in Las Vegas, Nevada

All Net Resort & Arena was a planned entertainment complex in Las Vegas. A project of businessman and former basketball player Jackie Robinson, the complex would have included a resort hotel, retail and restaurant space, and a multi-purpose arena with a retractable roof. Its location was set on the Las Vegas Strip at the former site of a Wet 'n Wild waterpark, next to the Sahara Las Vegas in Winchester, Nevada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Harris (businessman)</span> American investor and sports team owner (born 1964)

Joshua Jordan Harris is an American investor, sports team owner, and philanthropist. He is a co-founder of the private equity firm Apollo Global Management and a managing partner of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, the NHL's New Jersey Devils, and the NFL's Washington Commanders. Harris is also a general partner of the English football club Crystal Palace and owns a minority stake in Joe Gibbs Racing. He has an estimated net worth of around US$9 billion.

David Scott Blitzer is an American investor and sports team owner. He is a senior executive at the private equity firm Blackstone and co-managing partner of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and NHL's New Jersey Devils. A native of New Jersey, he graduated from Penn's Wharton School and joined Blackstone in 1991. Blitzer and Apollo Global Management co-founder Josh Harris are frequent business partners, with the pair establishing Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inquirer Building</span> United States historic place

The Inquirer Building, formerly called the Elverson Building, is an eighteen-story building at the intersection of North Broad and Callowhill Streets in the Logan Square neighborhood of Center City Philadelphia, completed in 1924 as the new home for The Philadelphia Inquirer, a daily newspaper in the city, that was joined by the Philadelphia Daily News in 1957.

Alan Horwitz is an American businessman and the founder and chairman of Campus Apartments, a student housing company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Horwitz is also a superfan of the Philadelphia 76ers and is known for sitting courtside at every 76ers home game wearing his "#76 SIXTH MAN" jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment</span> American sports and venue management company

Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment LLC (HBSE) is an American sports and venue management company founded by investors Josh Harris and David Blitzer in September 2017. HBSE owns and operates the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL), as well as other properties such as their minor league affiliates, the Prudential Center, and the esports organization Dignitas. HBSE also holds a minority stake in the NASCAR team Joe Gibbs Racing. The company is headquartered in Camden, New Jersey, and was valued at $11.86 billion in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David J. Adelman</span> American businessman (born 1972)

David J. Adelman is an American businessman and entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Campus Apartments, the Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of FS Investments, and the Founder of Darco Capital Chair. Adelman is also a limited partner of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which owns and operates the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils. His net worth was estimated by Forbes to be $2 billion in May 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bontemps, Tim (July 21, 2022). "Sixers unveil plans for downtown arena by '31-32". ESPN.com . Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 DiStefano, Joseph N. (July 21, 2022). "The Sixers want to build a new $1.3 billion arena in Center City". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Conde, Ximena; Torrejón, Rodrigo. "Chinatown coalition calls Sixers arena proposal a threat to their neighborhood's identity" . The Philadelphia Inquirer . Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Timeline – Asian Americans United" . Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  5. "You can 'bet' the fan experience at Flyers games is about to be much different". NBC Sports Philadelphia . September 4, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Prihar, Asha (July 21, 2022). "Who's involved? What's the timeline? All the details about the Sixers' plan for a Center City arena". Billy Penn . Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  7. Shelly, Jared (June 10, 2015). "Why Sixers Execs Refuse to Say "Wells Fargo Center"". Philadelphia Magazine . Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  8. Briggs, Ryan (September 9, 2020). "76ers rejected: N.Y. developer Durst selected for Penn's Landing site". WHYY . Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  9. Scott, Katherine (September 19, 2019). "Fashion District Philadelphia opens in Center City". WPVI-TV . Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  10. 1 2 3 Adelman, Jacob (December 17, 2020). "PREIT loses control of Center City's Fashion District mall to its California-based partner" . The Philadelphia Inquirer . Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  11. McQuade, Dan (March 22, 2015). "It's the End of The Gallery as We Know It (and That's a Shame)". Philadelphia Magazine . Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Philadelphia 76ers Announce Entrepreneur David Adelman to Lead New Arena Development; Pursuing Privately-Funded Development at Fashion District Philadelphia Site". NBA.com (Press release). Philadelphia 76ers. July 21, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  13. 1 2 DiStefano, Joseph N. (August 1, 2022). "Proposed Sixers arena site would expand across Filbert Street" . The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  14. "Developer David Adelman is convinced the plan for 76 Place will succeed". September 30, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  15. "Asian Americans United – Helping people of Asian ancestry build their communities and unite to challenge oppression" . Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  16. @billy_penn (July 21, 2022). "INBOX: Asian Americans United, an organization that fosters leadership and highlights issues in Philly's Asian American communities, announced a coalition that's forming against the Sixers' arena proposal" (Tweet). Retrieved February 9, 2023 via Twitter.
  17. Gammage, Jeff; Mikati, Massarah. "Chinatown residents loudly denounce Sixers arena proposal at contentious meeting". www.inquirer.com. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  18. "Chinatown Residents Share Concerns Over Proposed Sixers Arena in Center City". NBC10 Philadelphia. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  19. "Coalition created to fight construction of new Philadelphia 76ers arena near Chinatown". 6abc Philadelphia. January 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  20. Walsh, Sean Collins. "How an under-the-radar parking garage bill sparked the first City Hall dust-up over the 76ers' arena proposal". www.inquirer.com. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  21. Joyce, Jennifer (December 7, 2022). "Activists blocked bill that could have fast-tracked plan for new 76ers arena in Chinatown". FOX 29 Philadelphia. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  22. 1 2 Kinkead, Kevin (April 11, 2023). "Sixers Chief Communications Officer Says Howard Eskin is "Uninformed and Unimaginative"". Crossing Broad. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  23. 1 2 "Joel Embiid, NFL Draft, Phillies and more!". 94.1 WIP . April 22, 2023. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  24. 1 2 3 SanFilippo, Anthony (April 25, 2023). "Did Live Nation Subtly Pick a Side in the 76ers Stadium Debate on Howard Eskin's WIP Show?". Crossing Broad. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  25. 1 2 3 4 Moselle, Aaron (February 22, 2024). "Proposed Sixers arena could cost millions in lost tax revenue, new analysis finds". WHYY . Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  26. Murphy, Courtney (April 18, 2021). "Why doesn't Philly have a WNBA team? The local history of women's basketball and the case for bringing it back". Billy Penn . Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  27. Jennings, Chantel; Vorkunov, Mike (June 2, 2022). "Exclusive: WNBA expansion to add up to 2 teams before 2024 season". The Athletic . Retrieved July 21, 2022.