XFINITY Live! Launches at Sports Complex

Thousands Assisted a Ballyhooed Blend of Eateries and Pastimes to Celebrate Its Full Debut

Reed Cordish had metaphors on his mind during Friday afternoon’s of­ficial opening of Xfinity Live! Phila­delphia, 1100 Pattison Ave., a $60 million entertainment district more than four years in the making.

“Look around, and you will see incredible stadiums and a great arena,” the vice presi­dent of Baltimore’s The Cordish Compa­nies said in referring to Citizens Bank Park, 1 Citizens Bank Way; Lincoln Financial Field, 1101 Pattison Ave.; and the Wells Far­go Center, 3601 S. Broad St., as attendees anticipated enjoying the 55,000-square-foot mix of interior and exterior establishments and diversions. “They are your cathedrals. Xfinity Live! is thrilled to become your liv­ing room.”

Cordish, whose business ranks as the coun­try’s largest entertainment entity developer, commemorated his family’s first stadium-area project with partnering personnel from Comcast-Spectacor and Mayor Michael Nutter. Their commitment to furthering Philadelphia’s reputation as a prime sports center and leisure location helped work to end ahead of schedule and to make last weekend a sensory symbol of the sports complex’s possibilities.

“It has exceeded my wildest expectations,” Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider, who had foreseen opening today yet asked Cordish to have efforts finished for last week’s two Bruce Springsteen shows at the Wells Fargo Center, said.

The 16-year-old facility, home to the Sixers and Flyers, for whom he serves as chair­men, enabled Snider to aid the City’s quest for a connector to spur economic growth. He found that link in 2007, uniting with the Maryland corporation responsible for simi­lar spots in Atlantic City, Baltimore, Hous­ton and St. Louis.

“This is the realization of the vision of so many great people,” Cordish said before deferring to Nutter, a jobs advocate sure to rejoice over Xfinity Live’s! creation of 800 full-time positions.

Feet from the beginning of the Walk of Champions, a path that leads to the new enclosure and that includes statues of Fly­ers Hall of Fame center Bobby Clarke and Sixers Hall of Fame forward Julius Irving, Nutter praised Philadelphia as the only city whose four major athletic teams play within a half-mile radius of one another.

“There has been so much progress in the area over the last 16 years,” he said. “Let’s go celebrate the latest example.”

Nutter joined the moguls, including Com­cast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko, to flip an oversized “Live!” switch that sig­naled their brainchild’s official status, with all peering at a fireworks display.

“Everything turned out far better than the renderings,” Luukko said of the initiative, whose leaders he noted will explore adding a hotel in their next planning phase. “I am so eager for all to enjoy.”

He dubbed The Broad Street Bullies Pub, complete with the memorabilia from the Flyers’ top period, which yielded Stanley Cup championships in 1974 and ’75, his top destination, as did Mitchell Nichols of the 2800 block of Morris Street.

“I think they’ll win the Cup this year, too, but it’s great to see some old stuff,” the Grays Ferry resident said as he inspected samples of the franchise’s lore, including a cartoon depiction of the ’76 exhibition vic­tory over the Soviet Red Army Team. “The atmosphere here is relaxed and should draw nice crowds for music, beer and food.”

Nichols’ favorite haunt is situated among Chickie’s & Pete’s, Nick’s Roast Beef and The Original Philadelphia Cheesesteak Co., the components of The Philly Marketplace, Xfinity Live’s! centerpiece. They enjoyed a steady stream of patrons and seem destined to sate the cravings of the 5,000 consumers who can occupy the total space.

When mouths were not busy chewing food, they were spewing praise on how impres­sively the internal and external amenities struck them. No location lacked action, with the Spectrum Grille earning plaudits from seafood and steak lovers and the Vic­tory Beer Hall receiving kudos from eager imbibers. The latter’s selection, live enter­tainment and 2,000-square-foot patio featur­ing a fire pit led Stacy Vargas to declare the other areas pretenders to the hall’s crown.

“It’s brilliant here,” the resident of the 500 block of Carpenter Street said. “I’m going to make this whole weekend a celebration of this new vibe in my hometown.”

The Queen Village dweller planned to let the afternoon slip into the evening by sam­pling something from each space and wind­ing down by watching the night’s free con­cert with the alternative rock band Third Eye Blind, a late ‘90s hit maker. Her passion for the grounds bears the same sort of intensity that Snider had hoped to have apparent by asking Cordish to speed up preparations.

“They are great partners,” Cordish said of Snider and Luukko after giving his family a tour of the district, which held a music festival and entertained viewers of the Fly­ers’ loss to the Ottawa Senators, the Sixers’ win over the Atlanta Hawks and the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament’s semifinal tilts Saturday. “What we have helped to create is a model for develop­ment around stadiums that will be looked at all across the country and maybe inter­nationally. It will put Philadelphia very much on the forefront.”

Cordish then dined with his clan in the interior section of the NBC Sports Arena. The space offers a 32-foot diagonal LED HD television, with LED Rings displaying a sports ticker. The exterior’s On Demand Theater calls on a 24-foot-wide LED vid­eo board to show family-oriented movies and sports duels. Friday’s attendees also enjoyed assorted games on a 100-yard arti­ficial turf field.

Margaret Becker, of the 2500 block of South Marshall Street, took the Broad Street Line to the district but plans to use her car for subsequent adventures. For her future jaunts, she will not need to pay for parking on days minus events and will be able to avoid paying anything one hour af­ter the day’s last occasion begins. Xfinity Live! personnel, in a December release, said free parking will be available after 9 p.m. for 95 percent of the year.

“That’s a pretty high figure,” the Lower Moyamensing inhabitant said before din­ing at the PBR Bar and Grill.

Eager for its Tex-Mex fare, she expressed the most enthusiasm for riding the estab­lishment’s mechanical bull. A 30-second date with the gyrating cattle left her laugh­ing and coveting another.

“That thing is going to be a smash,” she said.

Cordish hopes the whole complex, which takes the place of the Spectrum, whose demolition ended in May, becomes a runaway hit. He will be checking in with Snider and Luukko weekly, with talks certain to include safety matters. Security officers ensured a peaceful progression and will continue to maintain order daily. All seemed idyllic Friday as Blackwood, N.J.’s Joanne and Jack Brunkle enjoyed the sunshine while on the patio.

“I think the whole setup is great,” Jack Brunkle said as his wife nodded approv­ingly of her beau’s estimation of the out­door seating, fire pit and entertainment stages. “It’s going to draw people from ev­erywhere and will be a great place to come to in order to watch games.”