Tag: Wells Fargo Center

Sixers’ Wells Fargo Center ranked as 17th most expensive arena to build

The Wells Fargo Center ranks 17th in the NBA in terms of construction cost.

The Philadelphia 76ers have played at the Wells Fargo Center since the 1996-97 season, but they are considering building a new arena in Center City. The proposed arena will cost $1.3 billion to build and will not open until 2031 — to the dismay of Joel Embiid.

Considering the new arena is at least nine years away, this is a good time to look back at how much it cost to build the Wells Fargo Center in the 90s. Obviously, costs were different then, so it’s interesting to see how much arenas cost then compared to now.

The folks over at OKC Thunder Wire put together the list of all 29 NBA arenas and ranked them based on construction cost. The Sixers’ home ranked 17th. It cost $210 million to build, but in 2021 money, the construction cost would be $384 million.

The Sixers have been looking for an NBA only arena so the proposed new one would be exactly what the team is looking for.

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Sixers going to build brand new $1.3 billion arena in Center City

The Philadelphia 76ers will build a new $1.3 billion arena in the Center City area of Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia 76ers have played at the Wells Fargo Center since 1996, sharing the building with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. Most recently, the Sixers have looked to find a basketball-only arena, and they were denied in the Penn’s Landing area, but it seems like they have finally found a spot.

On Thursday morning, the Sixers announced that they are going to build a $1.3 billion arena in the Center City area of Philadelphia. They would be leaving the stadium district in South Philly and will be moving downtown to what is called the Fashion District.

Per NBC Philadelphia:

“The Philadelphia 76ers are a storied Philadelphia institution with a proven track record of investing in their community. That’s why we’re committed to building a world-class home in the heart of the City and creating a privately-funded arena that strengthens ties within the local community through investments that prioritize equity, inclusivity and accessibility,” Harris said in a statement.

The arena would generate $1.9 billion in overall economic output during construction and $400 million annually upon opening, the Sixers said.

This is a big step forward for the Sixers as they continue their search for their own home. The Wells Fargo Center is a nice spot and it is convenient for fans, but to have their own arena strictly for basketball would be a big help for them.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Sixers can now have 100% capacity at Wells Fargo Center starting June 2

The Philadelphia 76ers can have a full capacity on June 2.

The Philadelphia 76ers have already welcomed back roughly 11,000 fans for the NBA Playoffs as they continue to increase the capacity at Wells Fargo Center. As the vaccination rates have risen and case rates have dropped, the world is slowly, but surely, working its way back to some normalcy.

The 11,160 fans that have filled the arena for Game 1 and Game 2 of their Round 1 series with the Washington Wizards have been rowdy enough as they have let their voices be heard. Now, it appears that there could be a full house in Philadelphia’s next playoff game which, for the moment, is scheduled for Game 5 of this series on June 2.

Beginning that day, businesses in Philadelphia now have 100% capacity and that means the Sixers can welcome back 20,155 passionate Philadelphia fans.

The Sixers already feed off the energy from their fans and that was seen in the first two games of this series. Bringing in even more people will help Philadelphia more on their quest for a title due to having the home-court advantage in the East.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Sixers announce fan capacity to be increased to 50% for NBA Playoffs

The Philadelphia 76ers announce that they will increase the capacity at Wells Fargo Center to 50% for the playoffs.

The NBA has pushed through the 2020-21 season amid murky waters amidst a global pandemic that has caused the majority of the league to play in empty arenas and, eventually, a limited number of fans. As cases go down and vaccination rates go up, it does seem that there is light at the end of the tunnel and a push to normalcy can really begin.

The Philadelphia 76ers began allowing fans back at the Wells Fargo Center on March 14 when they allowed roughly 3,000 fans. That number since then has increased to around 5,100 at their latest home matchup on Saturday against the Detroit Pistons.

As the playoffs get set to begin, that number is going to increase to around 50% capacity which means that roughly 10,000 fans can return to Wells Fargo Center for Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs.

“That’s up to that 7,000 more mouths yelling, so it’s gonna be a lot louder,” said rookie Tyrese Maxey. “I think it’d be a great advantage. Philly’s crowd, whether it’s 1,000, 2,000, or 22,000 it’s going to be crazy and rowdy and they’re going to be very passionate. We appreciate the fans as always and we can’t wait to get started.”

Maxey has not yet experienced what a full capacity crowd in Philadelphia is like just yet so he does not know how passionate the fans really are, but he is continuing to get a taste as time goes on. With the increase in fans, he can continue to see more people at the Wells Fargo Center.

“You can feel the energy kind of ratchet up,” Maxey added. “It’s funny, I was telling someone on the bench, I feel like every single other game a Wells Fargo that they add 1,000 more people because it seems like it gets louder every single time. That’s been great, but I can’t wait to see what the experience is going to be like. Everybody has always told me that Philly fans are rowdy and it’s hard to play in Philly. So, I’m ready to see it.”

This is big news for the Sixers, especially if they do get the No. 1 seed. That means that the road to the NBA Finals in the East would have to go through the City of Brotherly Love and they will have their fans behind them for the playoff run.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Sixers to have 3,100 tickets available for fans to return March 14 vs. Spurs

The Philadelphia 76ers will allow 3,100 fans starting March 14 against the San Antonio Spurs.

As the world continues to move forward in the middle of the global pandemic, the NBA is continuing to follow the guidelines of health experts as it tries to keep everybody safe. That means limiting large gatherings and promoting social distancing until COVID-19 is under control.

The Philadelphia 76ers have been playing home games in an empty Wells Fargo Center. That has been tough to do considering how passionate the Philadelphia fan base is, but it has been the circumstances they have been presented with.

As the world continues to move forward and restrictions continue to be lifted, the Sixers have been working with the state of Pennsylvania and the city of Philadelphia to figure out how to get fans back in the arena safely. The Wells Fargo Center can officially allow a limited number of fans starting March 7.

The Sixers announced they have 3,100 tickets available for their March 14 matchup with the San Antonio Spurs. That will be their first home game following that date.

This is huge news for the Sixers. They will be able to have a little bit of normalcy getting fans back in the building. Playing basketball in an empty arena is not fun and having the energy from the fans will give the team a bit of a boost.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Sixers can start allowing fans at Wells Fargo Center starting March 1

The Philadelphia 76ers can welcome fans back starting March 1.

The Wells Fargo Center has had an empty feeling in the 2020-21 season. The Philadelphia 76ers have been terrific as they are sitting at the top of the Eastern Conference standings and there have not been any fans to witness it due to the COVID restrictions and Joel Embiid has had to wave to empty seats after big games.

That all can change starting Monday, March 1 as the state of Pennsylvania is now allowing 500 fans for indoor events. It won’t be anywhere near the 20,000+ the Sixers normally draw, but it will feel nice to have some number of fans in the building for what has been an entertaining season.

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Philadelphia is 14-2 at the Wells Fargo Center so far this season and there is no doubt that the fans would be going crazy whenever Embiid has a big night or Ben Simmons throws down a big slam. It will be nice to have the passionate fans of Philadelphia back in the arena.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Report: Sixers have hopes to host NBA All-Star weekend in 2026

The Philadelphia 76ers have plans to host the All-Star game in 2026.

While the 2021 NBA All-Star game in Indianapolis is most likely not happening, the league is looking to safely move forward out of the current state of the world and begin planning for the future.

The Philadelphia 76ers are currently moving forward with a few new additions to their organization such as a new Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations and a new VP of Personnel. With these new additions, they are feeling pretty confident about their basketball team and they also want to show their arena and their city to the world.

In a report by CNBC’s Jabari Young, the Sixers are working on coming up with a plan to host the 2026 All-Star game at the Wells Fargo Center. Young reports:

And the Sixers are working with Philadelphia officials and Comcast, which owns the Wells Fargo Center, to host an NBA All-Star game in 2026.

The Sixers have been planning on moving out of the Wells Fargo Center and they made a proposal for an arena in the city’s Penn’s Landing area, but the proposal was rejected. Now, the team looks to move forward in the arena and a new front office configuration. [lawrence-related id=38474,38468,38459]

Commissioner Adam Silver hopeful that NBA will have fans in arenas soon

NBA commissioner Adam Silver says the league hopes to have fans back in arenas soon.

The NBA and the whole world in general are still dealing with the effects of the global coronavirus pandemic. Things may be beginning to move forward as everybody learns how to live through this, but it does not mean things are completely safe at the moment.

The league was put on hold on March 11, but they found a way to continue the season inside a bubble in Orlando. It meant no fans were allowed in, social distancing measures were in place, and masks were worn in order to protect others and keep everybody safe.

Before Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, commissioner Adam Silver spoke with the media and he had this to say about the 2020-21 season in hopes of having fans back in arenas:

I think we all know nothing has really changed in this virus, as far as I know. In fact, many states are being in, I think the majority of states right now cases are ticking back up again. Based on everything I’ve read, there’s almost no chance that they’ll be a vaccine at least that is widely distributed before we start the next season so I do not see the development of a vaccine as a prerequisite. What my sense is that with rapid testing, it may not be that we’ll have 19,000 people in the building, we’ll see, but that with appropriate protocols, in terms of distancing, and with advanced testing that you will be able to bring fans back into arenas.

For the Philadelphia 76ers, it would be a huge win for them if they can get back to the Wells Fargo Center and have their passionate fan base to play in front of again. They went 29-2 at home before the league had to continue in the bubble due to the current situation in the world. [lawrence-related id=38035,38026,38032]

Sixers arena proposal at Penn’s Landing rejected in favor of Durst project

The Philadelphia 76ers were not selected for a new arena at Penn’s Landing.

The Philadelphia 76ers currently play at the Wells Fargo Center where they share the arena with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. Their lease at the arena ends in 2031 and they were looking to begin the process of having a basketball-only arena.

They had the waterfront area at Penn’s Landing in their sights, but it appears that their proposal has been rejected by the Delaware River Front Corporation. The proposal by the Sixers and their managing group of Josh Harris and David Blitzer was amongst a few other proposals to use the land and the Corporation unanimously approved a project from New York Durst which is a family-owned real estate company.

The Sixers had a ton of success at the Wells Fargo Center in the 2019-20 season going 29-2 before the global coronavirus pandemic forced them to play the rest of the season inside the bubble in Orlando. That success there maybe should make the Sixers reconsider their thoughts on leaving the arena. [lawrence-related id=37528,37525,37522]

Sixers, Flyers team up to use Wells Fargo Center as voting spot for election

The Philadelphia 76ers and the Philadelphia Flyers are teaming up to turn Wells Fargo Center into a voting spot for the upcoming election.

Currently, NBA arenas are not being used as the world is adapting to the current circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also an important time in the world as the general election is coming up fast in November and organizations are beginning to use these arenas as safe voting spots for that election.

The Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers, who both occupy the Wells Fargo Center, have teamed up to use the arena as a spot for election activities related to the general election to be held in November.

“We thank our great partner, Comcast Spectacor, and the Philadelphia Flyers for their efforts in ensuring that the Wells Fargo Center is available to serve as a place where the Philadelphia community can safely exercise their right to vote,” said Sixers president Chris Heck via a press release. “The 76ers will continue to advocate for increased access to voting and use our platform to do good in our communities.”

This is a time where the world is looking for chance as social justice issues rise to the forefront of America. This is an important time for everybody to vote and let their voice be heard for the future of the country.

“In the face of the unique circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, both our organization and the 76ers are pleased to be able to support the City of Philadelphia in its efforts to ensure full, fair, safe, and secure voter participation in this fall’s election,” added  Valerie Camillo, President of Business Operations of the Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center. “We applaud the NBA and the 76ers for their advocacy around this issue and are pleased to be able to make our facility available consistent with the City’s needs.” [lawrence-related id=37321,37318,37315]