State Senate President Nick Scutari, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, Sen. Paul Sarlo, the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, and Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald said they would welcome a move by the Philadelphia 76ers to Camden “with open arms,” calling it a “once-in-a-generation opportunity.”
The four issued a joint statement Tuesday morning in support of the initiative to bring the 76ers to New Jersey.
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“We are thrilled to see the news that the 76ers are exploring additional options for their home,” Scutari (D-Clark), Coughlin (D-Woodbridge), Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) and Greenwald (D-Voorhees) said. “We would welcome them to Camden with open arms.”
On Monday night, the state sent the Sixers a pitch to relocate to a new state-of-the-art arena that would anchor a transformative mixed-use project on the waterfront, just north of the Ben Franklin Bridge.
The state, in a letter sent by New Jersey Economic Development Authority CEO Tim Sullivan, said the proposal has the potential to include two Aspire tax credits worth up to $400 million each.
In the statement, the group called the proposal a “game-changer” for Camden.
“Bringing the 76ers to the Camden waterfront would be a game-changer for the city of Camden and the state of New Jersey, and we strongly support Gov. (Phil) Murphy’s efforts to pursue this once-in-a-generation opportunity,” they said.
“The 76ers are already proud members of the Camden community via their headquarters and practice facility, and the ownership group has made major investments in Camden, Newark and Jersey City in recent years. A world-class sports and entertainment arena in Camden, as part of a mixed-use development including residential and retail development, would create thousands of jobs, add significant new tax revenue and provide a major boost to Camden’s already strong comeback over the last several decades.”
The group said the proposal shows the potential power of the 2021 Economic Recovery Act.
“The Economic Recovery Act, enacted in 2021, has provided the NJEDA with significant resources to pursue opportunities like this on behalf of the state, and we are open to discussions,” the group said.
