The Philadelphia 76ers are plotting their exit from South Philadelphia, but that doesn’t mean sports fans don’t have anything to look forward to in the neighborhood's vast professional sports complex.
Comcast Spectator and its partner The Cordish Cos. are sharing renderings and new details about $15M upgrades coming to the Xfinity Live dining and entertainment center and the surrounding community plaza. They should complete sometime in early 2026 and wrap up before the FIFA World Cup comes to Lincoln Financial Field later that year.
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Fans can look forward to the new AVA Rooftop Bar, which will top the two-story Xfinity Live Building that was first constructed in 2011, according to a release.
In the plaza below, plans call for a new open-air beer garden, a “Crush Bar” that serves hand-squeezed drinks and an expanded PBR Cowboy Bar with a backyard and a stage. An upgraded multipurpose turf area, dedicated spots for a rotating array of local food trucks and a series of art installations are also in the works. Other facilities will remain open throughout construction.
“(This) is a precursor to our broader project to create a world-class, year-round sports and entertainment district,” said Phil Laws, chief operating officer at the Wells Fargo Center, in the release. “This is a natural next step in its evolution that will create more gathering spaces for visitors for a variety of events.”
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The slate of improvements follows the $2M spent to transform the former Broad Street Bullies Pub into the NBC Sports Arena. The space next to Citizens Bank Park now includes a larger footprint for Chickie & Pete, a renovated outdoor patio and a fleet of additional LED screens.
Comcast and Cordish said they have achieved 45% minority- and women-owned business participation in the construction process so far and are committed to hitting similar numbers in the next phase of upgrades.
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The partnership first announced the Xfinity Live improvement plans in February, but at the time the price tag was just $12M.
The project is envisioned as part of a larger, decade-long $2.5B transformation plan for the entire Sports Complex Special Services District. Stakeholders have discussed building hotels, residences, retail and a 5,500-seat performance stage on some of the facility’s vast parking lots.
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