Drop-dead gorgeous New Wells Fargo Center

Article posted by Coliseum, October 20^th, 2023

Image: Wells Fargo Center

Earlier on October 16^th, the New Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia (US) unveiled for the first time its brand-new and completely reimagined Event Level which includes state-of-the-art locker rooms and player and performer facilities, including several shared facilities for both the National Hockey League (NHL) team Philadelphia Flyers and the National Basketball Association (NBA) team Philadelphia 76ers.

‘WELLS FARGO CENTER’ quoted Keith Jones, Flyers President of Hockey Operations, as stating, “Our players were blown away (Flyers players saw the new locker room for the very first time on October 16^th) and our entire organization is going to benefit so much from these investments. We have training facilities, medical facilities, video technology to breakdown game tape, and great new spaces for players and their families before and after the games. This is what a modern, first-class facility looks like.”

The 21,000-capacity Wells Fargo Center is a multipurpose indoor arena located in Philadelphia (US). It serves as the home of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League (NLL).

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The New Wells Fargo Center is a $400 million renovation of the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia (US). The project is completely privately-funded and is expected to be completed by the end of 2023. The New Wells Fargo Center is a direct, private investment in the Stadium District and an anchor for the broader revitalization of South Philadelphia, including plans to revitalize the Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Park, invest in local roads and infrastructure and redevelop the underutilized areas.

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Park is a 348-acre park in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (US). It’s the largest park in South Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia (US). The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The Wells Fargo Center serves as their home facility.

The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, is an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area (US). The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The Wells Fargo Center serves as their home arena.

Said Phil Laws, President, Wells Fargo Center, “Every inch of this arena has been torn down and rebuilt into something so impressive, and the facilities now available to the players and the performers are truly world-class. As we begin to finish the transformation of this entire arena, we can certainly say that we’ve achieved our goals to create the best fan experience in sports and build facilities that will help our players and performers succeed on the ice, on the court, or on stage.”

‘WELLS FARGO CENTER’ further stated that the brand-new Flyers locker room features an entryway that honors the Flyers Founder, Late Ed Snider, and celebrates the team’s two Stanley Cups. The main room, which was designed in an oval-shaped layout, has individualized lockers, a massive 400 pound ceiling-mounted illuminated Flyers logo and cutting-edge technology including a 110 inch multipurpose screen. Upgrades to lighting throughout the new space include the transition to throw lighting in order to enhance the architectural structure and interior design features of the room. Each stall contains its own individual ventilation system to circulate air more efficiently and to help dry wet equipment or items.

The coaches’ suite of spaces has been outfitted with 10x more screen real estate with over 40 total screens for the team’s video personnel to work in realtime during play and game breaks. The new state-of-the-art Video distribution matrix, integrated with the team’s Catapult Thunder Video and NHL Hawkeye Replay systems allows the video team staff to send game video in realtime to any display in the locker room space as well as the bench area and suites for the coaches and the team officials to review.

The other upgraded amenities include the brand-new players’ lounge, which will be a haven for recovery during both downtime and pre-game prep for the athletes, state-of-the-art medical facilities featuring a trauma center and an athletic training room that tripled in size. The medical facilities consist of the new Sharp X-ray imaging system, player injury video system and dental and laceration equipment and lighting. The athletic training room boasts new underground hot and cold tubs for recovery and new therapeutic treatment/chiropractic (form of alternative medicine) tables.

The shared spaces for both the Flyers and 76ers include a coach and executive lounge, a family lounge with a designated nursing space and a weight training room designed collaboratively by both teams’ training staffs.

The New Wells Fargo Center has already invested $16 million into the Event Level, including construction of the Shift4 Club, one of the country’s top courtside/iceside clubs.

The Event Level overhaul is one of the critical, final phases of the arena’s $400+ million Transformation project. This phase marks a $30 million investment and completely redesigned 46,000 square feet inside the arena, with over 16,000 square feet dedicated to new locker rooms for both the 76ers and the Flyers.

The New Wells Fargo Center’s Transformation project is fully privately-funded by the sports and entertainment company Comcast Spectacor. This past Summer, the arena released renderings of the exterior upgrades which are currently underway. The transformation project, which supports hundreds of jobs and union roles in South Philadelphia, has ensured that the New Wells Fargo Center will remain a world-class venue for hockey, basketball and more for decades to come. The New Wells Fargo Center is also a key anchor of South Philadelphia’s revitalization and the City’s unique Sports Complex.

The Comcast Spectacor is a sports and entertainment company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (US). It’s part of Comcast Corporation, a Fortune 50 media and technology company that operates Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal.

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