Officials from the state of New Jersey sent details to the owners of the Philadelphia 76ers regarding an opportunity to use state-owned land in Camden for a massive mixed-use development that would include a world-class arena as well as commercial, residential and retail offerings, ROI-NJ has learned.
The multibillion-dollar project, championed by Gov. Phil Murphy and supported by the Legislature, would be built on the former state prison site area that is adjacent to the Delaware River and north of the Ben Franklin Bridge.
The project, which would be self-financed by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (the entity that owns the Sixers), would be eligible for hundreds of millions of dollars in tax incentives.
Because the project would contain both an arena and a full-scale mixed-use component, HBSE could be eligible to receive two Aspire tax credits worth up to $400 million each.
In addition, the Governor’s Office aims to work with the Legislature to enable the structuring of up to $500 million of special-purpose bonds supported by fees and surcharges on tickets, concessions and parking (meaning there will be no impact to New Jersey taxpayers) to support the development of an arena.
Details of the proposal were included in a letter emailed from Tim Sullivan, the CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, to Tad Brown, CEO of HBSE, late Monday.
“We envision a multibillion-dollar, privately-led comprehensive mixed-use development north of the Ben Franklin Bridge that would serve as a transformative catalyst for Camden and New Jersey,” Sullivan writes in the letter. “Anchored by a world-class arena, we believe that this project will enable development of significant residential, commercial and retail offerings within the city of Camden.”
A spokesperson for the Sixers said the team will give the state’s proposal a “serious” look.
“We have worked tirelessly for the past five years to build an arena in Philadelphia and negotiations remain ongoing with city leadership regarding our proposal at Market East,” the spokesperson said. “The reality is we are running out of time to reach an agreement that will allow the 76ers to open our new home in time for the 2031-32 NBA season.
“As a result, we must take all potential options seriously, including this one.”
State Senate President Nick Scutari (D-Clark), Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Woodbridge), Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge), the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, and Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D-Voorhees) said they would welcome a move by the Philadelphia 76ers to Camden “with open arms.”
“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 in a joint statement Tuesday morning.
The state’s letter marks an escalation of a push to bring the NBA team from Philadelphia to New Jersey — an effort first reported by ROI-NJ on July 18.
The Sixers, which moved their corporate headquarters and training facility to Camden in 2016, have struggled for more than five years to gain approval from the city of Philadelphia to build a new arena in the city.
HBSE’s offer to self-finance 76 Place, a $1.3 billion proposed facility in Philadelphia’s Center City, has not progressed since it was announced in July 2022.
Relocating to New Jersey seemingly makes sense for the Sixers for a number of reasons.
For starters, HBSE also owns the New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center, so it already has a solid working relationship with state officials. In addition, Murphy has a longstanding relationship with HBSE co-founder David Blitzer and speaks with him regularly.
Having the talks pick up in urgency makes sense, too.
The Sixers, whose current lease at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia ends after the 2030-31 season, previously have said they need to have a deal in place for a new arena by the end of 2024 (and to begin building in 2025) to meet their timeline.
New Jersey officials, sensing an opening, have been meeting with representatives of the Sixers on a regular basis. The letter, in addition to putting the essence of the talks in writing, details the state’s continued willingness to work with the team, something the team has found officials in Philadelphia less willing to do.
“We recognize that implementing a vision of the scale we have jointly discussed will require a comprehensive planning effort,” Sullivan writes. “We are committed to working collaboratively with you (as well as city, county and regional governments) to develop a tailored approach to traffic and transportation planning, including needed infrastructure investments, that will ensure a smooth fan experience as well as mitigate the impacts of additional visitors and residents to the city of Camden.”
The proposal to move to Camden comes with two other advantages.
The potential parcels of land, which could be acquired for little or no cost, the letter said, also are believed to be shovel-ready — so, construction could be ramped up quickly.
Read more from ROI-NJ:
- Sixers: Organization taking N.J. offer to move to Camden ‘seriously’
- Business leaders fully behind push to bring Sixers to Camden
- Scutari, Coughlin, Sarlo, Greenwald offer strong support for effort to bring Sixers to Camden
- Camden’s Carstarphen sees Sixers relocation as culmination of city’s effort to transform itself
Then, there’s this: The state recently committed $300 million to a revision of the Walter Rand Transportation Center in downtown Camden, a vital link to the city of Philadelphia and a major regional transit hub, which could be seen as a first step in solving public transportation access to the facility.
Sullivan, in the letter, also stressed the strong support of Murphy, a noted sports fan who would like to add the relocation of an NBA team to the state to a sports résumé that includes bringing the final of the FIFA 2026 World Cup to New Jersey.
Sullivan wrote that Murphy has committed to a “whole of government” approach to the project, particularly as it relates to infrastructure, transportation, land use, property assemblage and any required environmental remediation to facilitate this project.
“I am confident that, as you identify potential locations for the new home of the 76ers, you will find no better partner than the state of New Jersey and the city of Camden,” Sullivan wrote.
In addition to Murphy, a number of senior state officials will be copied on the email, including:
- State Senate President Nick Scutari (D-Clark)
- Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Westfield)
- Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D-Voorhees)
- Assembly Deputy Leader and Budget Chair Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge)
- Chief of Staff Tim Hillman
- Deputy Chief of Staff for Economic Growth Eric Brophy
- EDA Chief Strategy Officer Mary Maples
- EDA Chief Real Estate Development Officer Jorge Santos
(This story, originally posted at 6 p.m. on Sept. 2, has been updated with additional information and reaction. It will be updated as needed throughout the day.)
