76ers stadium development leaders David Adelman and David Gould kicked off ULI Philadelphia’s Annual Real Estate Forecast 2023 with a fireside chat hosted by Jeremy Sunkett, Vice President of Real Estate at MRA Group. Appropriately self-dubbed “DA” and “DG” for the panel, these leading developers discussed their critical initiatives for their future project on East Market Street: diversity, inclusion, and community engagement.

As Anne Cummins, COO of Gattuso Development, kindly put in her opening remarks, “in case you’ve been living under a rock,” David Adelman, President and CEO of Campus Apartments and Chairman of 76ers, and David Gould, Chief Diversity and Impact Office for Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment (HBSE), are leading the efforts to knock down 1/3 of the existing Fashion District and build a new arena for the Philadelphia 76ers, whose lease expires at Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia in 2031. Because of the prime Center City location proposed, this new project will impact several communities of people throughout the city, and DA and DG are refusing to turn a blind eye to that.

Gould kicked off the conversation by explaining a goal of HBSE (owner of the 76ers), which is to leverage their day-to-day business to have a positive impact. In the same way that he and his colleagues utilize the infamous media platforms of their sports teams to promote minority small businesses and communicate a diverse brand, Adelman is committed to meeting minority participation on the new arena construction. Minority and women-owned businesses will be a crucial marker of success as this development moves forward.

Adleman also acknowledged that it isn’t just about what the makeup of consultants looks like as the arena is constructed, but more importantly, what do the operations look like once the facility is opened. He doesn’t want the diversity initiatives to stop when the crowd floods in for game #1; simultaneously,  he envisions an environment where all types of people are represented in the staff, employees, and visitors.

Many Philadelphians, as well as outside onlookers of this project, have witnessed the displeasure of adjacent Chinatown. DA and DG are adamant that they are not aiming to displace or exclude their neighbors, but rather make this process so inclusive that they have a say in what this project can do to help them. As stated during this panel, Chinatown in Philadelphia has been through several traumatic events, including the building of the Convention Center and the creation of 676 which quite literally cut Chinatown in half. This ignorance and disrespect is exactly what 76DevCorp is avoiding but including local stakeholders in their planning.

Lastly, engagement and community come hand in hand in Adelman’s and Gould’s goals. They spoke about a Steering Committee that will be formed to include Chinatown businesses, residents and community organizations so that they can speak to traffic concerns, housing affordability, and local retail and restaurant vouchers that can be a part of the arena construction and experience. Not only are DA and DG considering their neighbors to the North, but the East Market corridor on the South side of the building will benefit from this development. For anyone that walks Philadelphia, you know how dark and desolate that side of Market Street is, and the new lighting, better paved roads, activated street retail, and overall energetic atmosphere that will come with a basketball arena will result in a safer climate for commuters and tourists alike.

See below for links to additional recaps from the Annual Real Estate Forecast 2023: