As discussion over a proposed Temple football stadium continues, various community groups are organizing to oppose the plan.
Temple University president Richard M. Engler is expected to file a project submission to the Philadelphia City Planning Commission for the new stadium. Its proposed location is bound by Broad Street on the east; Norris Street on the north; 16th Street on the west; and Pearson-McGonigle halls and the Aramark Student Training and Recreation (STAR) Complex on the south.
While Temple has cited rent costs at Lincoln Financial Field as a factor in wanting to build its own stadium, some groups and community members are voicing their opposition to the project. Those in opposition of the proposed stadium have expressed concerns about its potential effects on North Philadelphia, and whether it will lead to issues such as traffic problems and increasing taxes. On March 1, a coalition of groups that are opposed to the proposed Temple football stadium will convene a town hall. More from Metro:
On March 1, a coalition made up of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia & Vicinity, the Philadelphia NAACP and the Stadium Stompers will convene a town hall to join forces against the project, as Temple prepares its formal application to the City Planning Commission for government approval of their plans.
As Jackie Wiggins, 63, an organizer with Stadium Stompers, put it, her message to Temple’s administrators and Board of Trustees is simple: “Go put the stadium down in front of your own house.”
“Our task as Stompers has been all along to keep people aware this is going on,” said Wiggins, who lives near 20th and Diamond streets. “Temple University has not been a decent neighbor to black folks for some years. … Why are we kept ill-informed about planning for where we live?”
Temple said in January that as it will hold discussions through the spring about the potential impact on North Philadelphia of the proposed to sit between Broad and 16th streets south of Norris.
The proposed Temple football stadium has been estimated to cost $130 million, and is slated to include 35,000 seats, classroom space, and 28,000 square feet of retail. It has been estimated for a 2020 opening, with Temple remaining at Lincoln Financial Field through 2019, though that is dependent upon the proposal receiving proper approval. The university would look to solicit private donations and issue bonds to back the project. It would also sell stadium naming rights, and obtain gate and concessions revenue.
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