Flyers, Sixers Unveil Arena Design on Old Spectrum Site
The privately funded South Philadelphia building is targeted to open before the 2030 WNBA season, with a design that nods to the Spectrum.
The Flyers and 76ers released the first renderings of their new arena on September 8, a building going up on the former Spectrum site in South Philadelphia that the two organizations are calling the largest fully privately funded project in city history.
The arena is targeted to open before the 2030 WNBA season, when Philadelphia's expansion team begins play. The Sixers, owned by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, come in as 50-50 partners with Comcast Spectacor after more than a decade as tenants.
For the Flyers, it is a return to the ground where the franchise started. Philadelphia began play in 1967 at the Spectrum and won its only two Stanley Cups there.
"To build our future where Ed Snider and the Spectrum made history makes this project truly special," Comcast chairman Brian Roberts said. "Working with HBSE, we are creating a world-class experience worthy of Philadelphia's incredible fans."
The design leans on that history and on the city itself. Renderings show more than a half-acre of outdoor gathering space with fan plazas and food and beverage options, plus a wide entrance staircase modeled on the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
"Philly fans deserve the best arena in the world, and we are excited to partner with Comcast to deliver just that," Sixers managing partner Josh Harris said.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called it "a state-of-the-art home worthy of the Flyers, their fans, and the entire city," and said the two ownership groups' commitment reflects "a lasting investment in the city's economic vitality." NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the renderings promise "an extraordinary home for NBA and WNBA basketball as well as many other world-class events."
The organizations estimate the project will create nearly 15,000 jobs and generate close to $6 billion in economic activity over the next decade, along with hundreds of millions in new tax revenue for the city and the School District of Philadelphia.
Dan Hilferty, who became Flyers governor in 2023, has overseen a front office restructuring while pushing the team back toward consistent contention. The building is the longer-term piece of that.
