A real estate firm that shares an address with the owners of the 76ers has admitted to filing incomplete lobbying reports regarding its efforts to influence city officials about a proposed sports arena and agreed to pay $4,000 in fines with the Philadelphia Board of Ethics, the board announced Tuesday.
But the firm listed in its reports an address in Camden that is shared with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which owns the 76ers. Additionally, no other major sports team is currently attempting to build an arena in Philadelphia.A spokesperson for 76 Devcorp, the team’s development arm, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
But late last year, the team appears to have tried to sneak legislation through Council that would have facilitated the construction of the arena by striking Filbert Street between 10th and 11th Streets from the street grid.got wind of the street-striking language, which was attached to an otherwise routine bill refinancing a parking garage, and pressured Squilla, who sponsored the bill, into removing the provision.
The team also appears to have attempted to hide its significant financial support for Jeff Brown’s unsuccessful campaign in this year’s mayoral election.