Xfinity Live! is set to renovate and upgrade part of its indoor and outdoor spaces as a neighboring stadium prepares to make its mark on the international sporting stage.
Partners Comcast Spectacor and The Cordish Companies on Tuesday announced renovations at its venue in South Philadelphia’s sports complex district will cost roughly $12M and wrap up by 2026 or sooner, just before six FIFA World Cup soccer matches are set to take place at the nearby Lincoln Financial Field.
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Beginning construction this year, the renovations will add new terraces, gathering areas and other upgrades to the complex, according to the announcement.
“Xfinity Live! has become the living room for the community over the past 12 years and these enhancements will allow us to continue providing first-class hospitality to our millions of guests," Xfinity Live! Director of Operations Erin Seifert said in a statement.
Operated by Cordish, Xfinity Live! hosts several restaurant stands, bars and large TVs in its complex located within the parking lots of the three major arenas. It is often flooded with crowds during game days.
Construction will begin in phases in order to keep the TVs running and booze flowing at the complex, minimizing any interruptions, according to the announcement.
Comcast Spectacor owns and operates Wells Fargo Center as well as two professional teams in the city: the National Hockey League’s Philadelphia Flyers and National Lacrosse League’s Philadelphia Wings.
Phil Laws, the president of Wells Fargo Center, which still houses the Philadelphia 76ers professional men’s basketball team, praised the upgrades.
“Cordish has been a great partner, and we look forward to working with them on this project,” he said in the announcement.
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In addition to the outdoor renovation, Comcast Spectacor has much larger, separate plans for the sports district — essentially creating a new community.
Those initial plans include 500K SF of office space, 460K SF of retail, a 5,500-seat concert venue, 2,000 multifamily residential units and 500 rooms across multiple hotels, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported this month.
The project would take up a portion of the 22,000 parking spots sitting adjacent to the Wells Fargo Center, Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field, but add additional parking spaces elsewhere.
The Sports Complex Special Services District, funded by Comcast Spectacor, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Philadelphia Phillies, met last month to discuss a $2.5B overhaul of the area, PBJ reported.
Those plans follow the hotly contested departure plans of the 76ers from the area. 76ers parent company Harris Blitzer Sports & Co. hopes to stop renting from Wells Fargo and move over to create a new development, 76 Place, on Market Street in Center City.
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