New Jersey officials give Sixers owner tour of proposed arena site
New Jersey will not go down without a fight to bring the Philadelphia 76ers to Camden.
On Tuesday, Gov. Phil Murphy, Camden Mayor Vic Carstarphen, and other New Jersey leaders gave one of the Sixers' owners a tour of the site they hope to lure the team across the river with a new arena.
Last month, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker announced she reached an agreement to keep the Sixers in the city, though it is far from a done deal. City Council will still need to approve the proposal before the groundbreaking of 76 Place at Market East begins.
The plan would enable the Sixers to build a $1.3 billion arena in Center City's Market East section.
In a statement Wednesday, Parker said, "I'm not at all surprised by New Jersey's aggressive pursuit of our 76ers. After all, they were just as aggressive in pursuing the team to move its practice facility to Camden. However, I will not be discouraged by this occurrence."
The proposal has been controversial for years and continues to receive pushback.
CBS News Philadelphia learned that New Jersey leaders were committed to remaining a viable option should the Center City deal fall through.
The state is offering $800 million in tax incentives, $500 million in bonds and a vacant piece of land on the Camden waterfront just north of the Ben Franklin Bridge.
"You have 40 acres that are available on the waterfront, available for development and it makes it very attractive," Camden County Commissioner Jeffrey Nash said.
Nash was part of a private tour Tuesday that showed off the site New Jersey leaders hope will become the Sixers' next home.
"The site is spectacular," Nash said. "If you go to the Camden waterfront, you cannot help but to be impressed with the availability of waterfront property that you will never find anywhere on the East Coast."
"It's a great site for development, and that site will be developed over the next several years," Nash added. "This would jumpstart it. So I think everyone was impressed by the site, whether it was compelling enough to move to Camden. I'll let them make that decision."
A Sixers spokesperson said the team remains committed to the Center City deal, but the team is on deadline to open a new arena for the 2031-32 NBA season. The spokesperson added that the team must ensure the franchise has suitable options for moving forward.
"The state of New Jersey has expressed interest in revitalizing a portion of the Camden waterfront, which would include an arena and mixed-use development," the team spokesperson said in a statement.
