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PHILADELPHIA -- The new arena for the Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia Flyers and Philadelphia's expansion WNBA team, will be in a spot close to where the old Spectrum was located along Pattison Avenue but closer than the Spectrum was to Broad Street.
Comcast Spectacor Chairman and CEO Dan Hilferty told the Philadelphia Inquirer during a South Philadelphia tour of key areas of economic growth in the district, that the location would be set back off of Pattison Ave, but closer to SEPTA's Broad Street Line NRG Station, creating easier access for fans from public transit.
"We believe there's only one logical spot for it," Hilferty said in a statement released jointly by the Sixers and Flyers.
Pre-construction engineer will begin soon, but the actual construction of the building will take time and that the time line will be dictated by the city government.
Some of the engineering work will be to determine if the current land could support the size and weight of the arena, and determine impacts, if any, to soil and the water table surrounding the proposed construction site, the Broad Street line, as well as egress to and from the arena, especially off of and onto I-95.
The design of the new arena also was not released, but the plans are to make it an homage to the Spectrum, with one source familiar with the planning indicating that the ice/court will run east to west - like it did in the Spectrum - and not north to south like it currently does at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Construction of the arena will take approximately three years once all city approvals and regulations are passed through City Council and signed off by mayor Cherelle Parker. However the goal is for the arena to be open intime for the debut of the WNBA franchise, for the 2030 season.
The Xfinity Mobile Arena will eventually be demolished, but not until after the new arena is established and operational with estimates being about a year or so after the new building opens.
The long-term plan is for the community to be mix-use, but initially the focus is going to be on growing retail in the space. Hilferty and Phillies owner John Middleton have previously announced they were partnering together to develop land between Pattison Ave. and Xfinity Mobile Arena, which Spectacor has existing development rights.
They have already begun with upgrades and expansion to Stateside Live! and further plans included retail shops, a hotel, an out door plaza and possibly another venue that would house smaller events, like mid-size concerts. Phase one of this expansion has a 2028 target date for completion.
Phase two is the more ambitious phase, and will involve additional development around Xfinity Mobile arena, expand north of Pattison Avenue (toward Center City) into parking lots currently controlled by the Phillies (between Broad Street to Citizens Bank Park, where Veterans Stadium used to sit).
This phase has a more aspirational vision which would include a second hotel, more retail and restaurants, a dedicated plaza for Phillies fans to gather on gamedays as well as new residential and office space and a sizeable green space.
The idea would be to create something similar to the Battery in Atlanta that surrounds Truist Park, the ballpark home of the Braves.
On Pattison's Bob Cooney contributed to this report.
