March 21, 2024
Provided Image/Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies are teaming up with Comcast Spectacor on a proposed $2.5 billion development plan at the Sports Complex in South Philadelphia, shown in the rendering above.
The Phillies will partner with Comcast Spectacor in the redevelopment of a large portion of the Sports Complex in South Philly, an ambitious plan that calls for the construction of restaurants, stores, a concert venue, hotel and other amenities, team officials said Thursday.
The $2.5 billion project was unveiled last month by Comcast Spectacor — the owner of the Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center.
"When I think about what makes Philadelphia unique, it's our incredible fan base and tight-knit community," Phillies managing partner and CEO John Middleton said. "This project focuses on expanding that community and bringing in more residents, workers and visitors. With the creation of new spaces and experiences, Philadelphians and visitors will have more opportunities to celebrate the passion and pride we have for our city and our teams."
Comcast Spectacor owns the development rights for the areas of the Sports Complex that would be used for the project's first phase, which is projected to be finished in 2028. It will be privately financed and will begin with a series of upgrades to Xfinity Live! in the next two years.
Dan Hilferty, chairman and CEO of Comcast Spectacor, welcomed the Phillies' partnership in the project and said the team had been involved in early planning.
"John Middleton and the Phillies share a big and bold dream for what the future could look like for Philadelphia," Hilferty said. "Our partnership with the Phillies will strengthen the ongoing growth and revitalization of the South Philadelphia community."
The second phase of the development would extend north of Pattison Avenue to parking lots that are currently controlled by the Phillies, from Broad Street to Citizens Bank Park. This area would get another hotel, residential units, more restaurants and retail and a dedicated Phillies Plaza next to Citizens Bank Park. It could also include office space, which had been floated in one of Comcast Spectacor's earlier development proposals for the Sports Complex.
To move forward with the second phase, Comcast Spectacor and the Phillies would need to obtain development rights from the city. The organizations said they will work together to get necessary approvals and will collaborate with the surrounding community to seek input about their plans.
Financing for the second phase has not yet been determined. Comcast Spectacor could not immediately be reached Thursday morning for clarification about whether public financing will be sought for those projects.
The Phillies' participation in the development comes in the midst of the 76ers' plans to leave the Sports Complex in South Philly to build a new arena that would replace a portion of the Fashion Distict Mall on East Market Street in Center City. The NBA team says it will privately finance its $1.55 billion project, which would include a 395-unit residential tower. The Sixers are under lease at the Wells Fargo Center until 2031, when they aim to finish construction of the new arena. The team is awaiting approval from the city for that project, which has faced resistance from residents in surrounding neighborhoods including Chinatown and Washington Square West.
Hilferty has publicly shared his wish for the 76ers to remain at the Wells Fargo Center, which recently completed a $400 million renovation, and has tried to entice the team, offering a 50-50 partnership that would include partnering on the eventual construction of a new arena at the Sports Complex. David Adelman, a co-owner of the 76ers and the leader of 76 DevCo, the team's development arm for its new arena, has been adamant that the Sixers will not be playing in South Philly in 2031.
On Thursday, the Sixers declined to comment on the latest news about Comcast Spectacor's plans.
A spokesperson for the Eagles said the team is not involved in the Sports Complex project at this time, but remains in close communication with the other teams about their projects.
The Sports Complex has more than 20,000 combined parking spaces across 23 lots, with additional overflow parking at lots in FDR Park and at the Navy Yard. It centralizes the city's pro sports venues and has direct access to major highways. But the area is congested with traffic when there are events at the arenas, especially when more than one event takes place at the same time, and public transit access is limited to SEPTA's Broad Street Line.
Comcast Spectacor has said it is considering adding a new parking garage to its plan to offset some of the spaces lost to the construction of new buildings and fan spaces, but specific plans for managing traffic have not yet been revealed.
