A new home for the 76ers and Flyers is scheduled to open in 2030, and now we have our first glimpse of what the new arena might look like.
Read more SEPTA Paoli/Thorndale and Cynwyd lines suspended due to Amtrak overhead wire issues
The teams released the first renderings of the privately-funded arena Tuesday that will be built at the former site of the Spectrum, next to where Xfinity Mobile Arena currently sits.
The new design features inspiration from the Spectrum, the former home of both teams from 1967 to 1996. The renderings show the facade will be comprised of three stacked and cantilevered “bands,” a nod to the Spectrum’s exterior.
“To build our future where Ed Snider and the Spectrum made history makes this project truly special,” Comcast chairman Brian Roberts said in a statement.
A plaza outside the arena will feature over a half-acre of outdoor space. The renderings show an expansive footprint that includes food and beverage pavilions, along with a giant screen outside the stadium.
“The first-look renderings reflect fan feedback and stakeholder input on the arena experience, public spaces and amenities,” the teams said in a statement. “Fan surveys, focus groups, community engagement, and public review will continue throughout the design and approval process.”
Stateside Live!, previous known as Xfinity! Live, sits near the new stadium site on 11th Street and just underwent a $15 million expansion and is expected to remain open.
In addition to the Sixers and Flyers, the arena will also be home to the yet-to-be named WNBA team slated to begin playing in Philly in 2030.
The stadium will be co-owned by Comcast and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Sixers. Comcast owns the naming rights of the new arena but didn’t announce a new name. It’s unclear how much the new arena will cost.
Read more Here are the must-watch Philadelphia Fringe Festival shows this year
“Philly fans deserve the best arena in the world, and we are excited to partner with Comcast to deliver just that,” 76ers managing partner Josh Harris said in a statement.
The Sixers’ original plan was to build a new $1.3 billion stadium on Market Street in Center City, a contentious idea backed by Mayor Cherelle L. Parker that secured legislative approval in 2024.
Weeks later, the project was canceled after the Sixers struck a deal with Comcast to build a new arena in South Philly.
The new arena still needs regulatory and legislative approval before construction can begin, which is scheduled to start the first half of 2027.
Parker’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the city shared the renderings on social media along with the comment, “Get excited Philly fans!”
What remains unclear is the future of Comcast’s plan to transform parking lots at the South Philadelphia stadium district into a sports-and-entertainment complex featuring hotels, residences, restaurants, and shops.
That announcement came before the Sixers abandoned their Center City stadium idea and decided to remain in South Philly. For now, the focus is on the new arena.
“We see [this location] as a unique opportunity to connect the retail affiliated with the arena, to the retail that we have in Stateside Live! and the expansion of that effort,” Hilferty told The Inquirer in April.
Read more Blood, flags, and fear: 25 years later, looking back on how Philadelphians reacted to 9/11