February 27, 2024
Provided Image/Comcast Spectacor
Xfinity Live! will get a series of upgrades as part of a $12 million renovation project, Comcast Spectacor says. A rendering shows plans for new terraces and outdoor gathering spaces.
Xfinity Live! is getting a revamped outdoor plaza that includes several new gathering areas and terraces as part of a $12 million renovation project.
The work will be completed in stages over the next two years so that Xfinity Live! can stay open while improvements are being completed to its interior and exterior spaces. The upgrades will allow Xfinity Live! to better serve game-day crowds at the Sports Complex and accommodate festivals and community events, according to Comcast Spectacor, which owns the venue.
The work will begin this year and is expected to be completed in 2025 or early 2026. The renovations will be led by The Cordish Companies, the Baltimore-based developer that also led the Live! Casino development at the Sports Complex.
Comcast Spectacor could not immediately be reached for additional details about the upgrades.
Xfinity Live!, at 11th Street and Pattison Avenue, will mark its 12th anniversary this spring. It replaced the Spectrum, which was demolished in 2010 and 2011.
Since opening in 2012, Xfinity Live! has been a popular gathering spot to watch Phillies, Eagles, Flyers and 76ers games. It has several pubs, bars and restaurants including the 5,600-square-foot Victory Beer Hall, which has indoor and outdoor spaces. Geno's Steaks, Chickie's and Pete's and Lorenzo and Sons Pizza each have outposts there.
A rendering shows planned upgrades outside Xfinity Live!
Comcast Spectacor continues to contemplate future development plans at the Sports Complex. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, a multifaceted proposal had called for a 3,500-seat esports arena and an office building and retail complex along Pattison Avenue. Those plans were tabled in subsequent years.
Comcast Spectacor officials had said they would look to reimagine the esports venue as a multipurpose facility that could include concerts and restaurants.
Earlier this month, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported that Comcast Spectacor had developed a new master plan for the Sports Complex, citing materials that had been presented to a neighborhood group in January. The plan reportedly calls for 500,000 square feet of office space, 460,000 square feet of retail, a 5,500-seat concert venue, 2,000 apartments and 500 hotel rooms spread across multiple brands.
Comcast Spectacor and the Sports Complex Special Services District did not respond to requests for information about those plans when contacted earlier in February.
The Wells Fargo Center, owned by Comcast Spectacor, recently completed a $400 million renovation project and soon will get a series of exterior upgrades including LED digital boards, strut lighting and new entry canopies at several entrances.
In recent years, Comcast Spectacor officials have hinted at plans to develop the Sports Complex in ways that emulate fan districts in other cities, like Toronto's Jurassic Park for the Raptors and Milwaukee's Deer District for the Bucks.
These plans come as the Sixers continue to seek approval for their proposed arena in Center City. The project has led to friction with Comcast Spectacor over the team's future at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers are under lease at the arena until 2031.
