The Philadelphia 76ers won city council approval on Thursday for a $1.3 billion downtown arena despite vocal opposition from nearby Chinatown residents and other activists. Council voted 12-5 to approve the project at a packed meeting at City Hall.

The mayor and labor unions touted the economic promise of the $1.3 billion project. Opponents said the arena would decimate the city’s storied Chinatown.

Eleven bills related to the construction of a proposed new arena for the Philadelphia 76ers in Center City go up for a final vote in City Council Thursday. Long lines formed outside City Hall ahead of the vote, full of supporters and opponents.