PHILADELPHIA — The Washington Commanders' surprising season has fans thinking big. Some are hoping for more than a playoff run. They hope the team’s newfound success will be transformed into a new stadium.
Josh Harris has already promised one. But he is finding that it may be easier said than done.
And if you want an idea of what it’s going to take for the Washington Commanders owner to get the team’s long-awaited new football stadium across the goal line, just look 136 miles to the north, at Philadelphia’s Market East Business District.
That’s where Harris has a $1.3 billion vision to revitalize a once-thriving neighborhood: A new arena for his basketball team, the Philadelphia 76ers. It’s called 76 Place.
“And so, our hope is we put the arena here we drive more foot traffic and investment and really help bring this corridor back to life and be an economic driver for the city,” Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment Chief Diversity Officer David Gould told WUSA9 in January.
While Harris may be all in on a new downtown arena in Philadelphia, Philly is not all in on Harris’s plan.
“As a community we are united. We don’t want this in Chinatown,” said Xu Lin, owner of Bubblefish Restaurant in Chinatown which borders where Harris wants to build.
Locals like Lin worry traffic congestion and increased competition from new bars and restaurants will drive them out of business.
“If the arena is built, my restaurant will not survive,” Lin said. “Chinatown will disappear. So, I will fight to the last minute.”
Opposition like that has kept the future of 76 Place in limbo ever since WUSA9 visited Philadelphia in early 2024.
This, despite the fact Harris has pledged 76 Place will come at no cost to Philly taxpayers, estimating the arena will bring more than 12,000 jobs and generate $1.5 billion in new tax revenue.
But it won’t happen without the support of Philadelphia Councilmember Mark Squilla, whose district includes the proposed arena location.
“It’s probably the most-lobbied project that I’ve had since I’ve been elected here,” Squilla said in January.
The fight in Philly could be a preview of what Harris might face when he tries to build a new football stadium for the Commanders.
Maryland, Virginia and D.C. all want it, but Harris has called D.C. the "spiritual home" of the franchise.
Already, community groups are lining up to oppose the team’s potential return to the RFK site even though a proposal in Congress to give the District long-term control of the RFK site has yet to be approved.
Keep in mind, unlike Philly, where Harris is offering to foot the bill for a basketball arena, he will almost certainly expect taxpayer support for a new football stadium — which is far more expensive.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker threw her support behind 76 Place in October. And weeks later, Councilmember Squilla finally agreed to introduce the 76 Place legislation for full council approval. The Council is currently holding public hearings on the legislation, with a vote expected in December.
The Save Chinatown Coalition says 76 Place is far from a done deal, staging a new round of protests as those public hearings got underway.
But the fact is that 76 Place is closer than it ever has been to becoming reality.
Despite how long it took to get here, in January Tad Brown, CEO of Josh Harris Sports and Entertainment Company, said when it comes to building arenas and stadiums, Harris will always push for what’s best, rather than what’s popular.
“So, we’re probably not going to make everybody see things exactly the way we would like — be it here or anywhere else,” Brown said, “but we’re going to be open and transparent and try to make sure that they understand that we care, and we want to have the dialogue about it.”
Brown said the new Philly arena will not impact the timeline for a new Commanders stadium.
Although, as it waits to find out whether D.C. will be an option, Commander’s ownership indicated we could already be looking at 2030 before fans get their new football stadium.
A Senate Committee is set to vote on the RFK bill Nov.19. If it does not pass Congress this session, Harris has to make a big decision. Wait another year and try again to get Congressional approval to use the RFK site. Or move forward with plans for a new stadium in Maryland or Virginia.