Construction underway of Philly NBA arena in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Plans are underway for the construction of Philly NBA arena in Center City, Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia 76ers have so far submitted a proposal for the implementation of the project. 

Located at 10th and Market Streets in Center City, to be precise, the project will cost approximately US$ 1.3bn. It will reportedly take nine years of planning in order to get the arena ready by 2031. This is when the team’s lease at Wells Fargo Center expires. The 2028 groundbreaking is dependent on the city’s approval. 

Philly NBA arena location

It took the 76ers(sixers) two years to decide on the location for the new Philly NBA arena. Eventually, Center City’s Fashion District was chosen to build the privately-funded world-class arena for the team. This was due to the location having the most transit accessibility in all of Philadelphia. In comparison to the sixers’ current home with a 20,478 seating capacity, the new arena will have about 18,000 seats.

Also Read US$ 79.5M Chattanooga multi-use stadium coming to Tennessee

Josh Harris, the sixers’ owner, mentioned that the project’s chosen location is a key step in the development process. He said the Philly NBA arena is intended to become a destination for youth games, concerts, events and so much more. Thereby, boosting the economy of Center City and surrounding communities through sporting activities and other events. Another benefit of the project’s location between Market and Filbert Streets would also be the improved value of neighboring properties.

Development plans for the new Philly NBA arena

Before construction on the Philly NBA arena commences, a block of the Fashion District Philadelphia shopping center needs to be demolished. In place of this structure, a public-transit hub linking Vine Street Expressway will be built. Additionally, a new parking garage and the Ben Franklin Bridge will also be erected at this site. The developers say an overall economic output of about US$ 1.9bn is expected to be generated from the project. This will amount to a US$ 400M yearly output to support Philadelphia’s economic growth. 

Tad Brown, head of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (Josh Harris’ management company), mentioned other benefits of the new Philly NBA arena. He said the new arena would provide more enhanced digital services, which offer improved game-viewing and gives spectators a better experience. Brown also pointed out that this project would create a brand-new environment, to give the town a much-needed economic boost.

The development team

Construction on the new Philly NBA arena will be overseen by a newly created development group named 76 DevCorp. This team will be led by David Adelman, Co-Founder of FS Investments and Founder of Darco Capital.

Furthermore, San Francisco-based stadium designer Gensler and stadium builder AECOM Hunt of Dallas have also been contracted for the project. North Jersey-based Langan Engineering will also be on the team.