Back to the corner of Broad and Pattison
The Spectrum came down years ago. The Sixers and the Flyers are going back anyway.
Both franchises put out the first exterior renderings of their future arena on Tuesday. It goes up in South Philadelphia, on the old Spectrum footprint, a short walk from the Xfinity Mobile Arena they use now.
Doors open in 2030. That is also the year Philadelphia’s new WNBA expansion team plays its first season.
No public money is going in. Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, owners of the Sixers, and Comcast Spectacor split the building down the middle. Comcast takes the naming rights, and the name itself comes later.
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Somebody put the Rocky steps in the blueprints
Half an acre and change of outdoor space. Fan plazas. Food halls. And a staircase modeled on the ones at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which is either heavy-handed or exactly right, depending on who you ask in this city.
“This is a new era for sports in Philadelphia,” Comcast chairman Brian Roberts said. “Building our future where Ed Snider and the Spectrum made history makes this project truly special.”
Sixers managing partner Josh Harris went straight at the money question. “Philadelphia fans deserve the best arena in the world. This privately funded venue will host the moments that define this city for generations.”
Nothing here is final yet
The Spectrum opened in September 1967, first home of a brand-new Flyers team and later the 76ers as well. Both clubs stayed until 1996.
What was published Tuesday can still change. “These initial renderings reflect feedback from fans and stakeholders on the arena experience, public spaces and amenities,” the two franchises said, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. Surveys, focus groups and public sessions run through the design phase.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called it a building “worthy of the Flyers, their fans and the city.” Adam Silver, speaking for the NBA, framed it as a home for men’s and women’s basketball both.
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