November 13, 2024
Provided Image/Comcast Spectacor
Comcast Spectacor is working on a $15 million renovation of Xfinity Live! at the Sports Complex in South Philadelphia. The project will feature new outdoor areas, more bars and a two-story pavilion. The venue will remain open throughout construction, which is expected to be finished in early 2026.
New renderings of Xfinity Live's $15 million renovation provide a glimpse into the various upgrades coming to the entertainment venue, including an outdoor beer garden, food truck area, concert stage and two-story pavilion with a VIP rooftop bar.
The project is underway and being led by Baltimore-based developer the Cordish Companies, which partnered with Comcast Spectacor to open Xfinity Live! in 2012 at the Sports Complex in South Philadelphia. At the time, the venue replaced the former Spectrum arena that was demolished between November 2010 and May 2011.
MORE: SEPTA proposes steep fare hikes, massive service cuts to begin Jan. 1
Xfinity Live! will remain open while renovations are completed. They are expected to be finished in early 2026.
The expansion aims to provide more spaces for people to gather on game days and accommodate festivals and community events.
The renovations also include an expansion of the PBR Cowboy Bar, which is getting an outdoor yard with a stage and new bars. Plaza upgrades include an upgraded turf area, new LED screens and public art installations.
Renovations at Xfinity Live! will include an outdoor area with a concert stage.
An aerial rendering shows the planned renovations at Xfinity Live!.
The PBR Cowboy Bar at Xfinity Live! will get a new outdoor area.
A beer garden will be added to Xfinity Live as part of Comcast Spectacor's $15 million renovation of the venue.
Xfinity Live! will have a two-story pavilion with a rooftop bar when renovations are finished.
An upscale bar is shown in a rendering of the pavilion that will be constructed at Xfinity Live!.
The inside of Xfinity Live! currently has several pubs, bars and restaurants including the 5,600-square-foot Victory Beer Hall, which also has outdoor spaces. Geno's Steaks, Chickie's and Pete's, and Lorenzo and Sons Pizza have stands there.
The work at Xfinity Live! is part of Comcast Spectacor's larger plan to upgrade amenities at the Sports Complex. The company, which owns the Wells Fargo Center and the Flyers, announced a multiyear development partnership with the Phillies earlier this year that will invest $2.5 billion in improvements and new facilities in South Philly. The Wells Fargo Center also underwent about $400 million in upgrades over the last several years.
"The Xfinity Live! expansion is the final step in our recent efforts to enhance the Wells Fargo Center and Sports Complex and is a precursor to our broader project to create a world-class, year-round sports and entertainment district," said Phil Laws, chief operating officer of the Wells Fargo Center.
The master plan for the Sports Complex calls for the construction of a 5,550-seat concert venue, a hotel, restaurants, stores and other amenities, officials said earlier this year. Later phases of development could include building residential units, office space, more restaurants and retail, and a new fan plaza next to Citizens Bank Park.
Some of the renovation plans at Xfinity Live! are still being reviewed by the Philadelphia Art Commission, which must give approval to the project because the venue is on city-owned land leased by Comcast Spectacor. Planning documents from the developer include additional renderings.
The Art Commission approved separate plans in September for the Phillies to expand the New Era team store at Citizens Bank Park, increasing the shop's floor space and outdoor area over the next two offseasons.
The development of the Sports Complex comes against the backdrop of the 76ers' push to build a new arena in Center City. The team wants to move into a new arena after its lease at the Wells Fargo Center expires in 2031. The Sixers' $1.3 billion proposal to replace a portion of the Fashion District Mall on East Market Street has been backed by Mayor Cherelle Parker and is being vetted by City Council in a series of public hearings this month.
