When the Wells Fargo Center, then called the Corestates Center, opened in 1996, it quickly gained a reputation as one of the best stadiums in the country. And the old girl has aged pretty well, as anybody who's attended a Flyers game, a Sixers game, or Disney on Ice could tell you. But like anything in this world, stadiums have a lifespan. And with eighteen years having passed since it opened, it's reasonable to start thinking about what will succeed the Wells Fargo Center. To their credit, building owners Comcast Spectacor are already on the task.
From what we understand, they intend to take a page out of the Phillies' playbook and are heavily engaged in talks to build their next stadium closer to downtown Philadelphia. Their sights are firmly set on the rail yards which sit between the Art Museum and the eastern end of Drexel's campus. You may recall, we told you in November that Drexel is aggressively working to put together a master plan for this 96-acre site which is as well located as it is underutilized. According to Drexel rep Sheila Igun, Comcast Spectacor is trying to get a new stadium incorporated into the master plan.
The good news for everyone is that the master plan is only the first step in a multi-billion dollar effort to redevelop the railyards. We suspect it will be at least five years before a shovel gets in the ground and perhaps another decade or more before a new stadium would possibly rise here. Still, interest from Comcast Spectacor dramatically changes the conversations about this huge parcel, and adds a layer of intrigue to what a master plan will ultimately look like.
It also makes us wonder, as the clock starts to tick on the Wells Fargo Center, will we be raising any championship banners between now and the day the place is imploded?
Update: Like the rest we posted today, this story is not true.