Will The Philadelphia Eagles Build A New Indoor Stadium? Owner Jeffrey Lurie Is Considering It
As the Philadelphia Eagles prepare to celebrate their Super Bowl victory with a Center City parade on Friday, the team’s leadership is contemplating flying the coop.
The Eagles have played at Lincoln Financial Field since it replaced Veterans Stadium in 2003. After more than two decades, the venue is one of the oldest in the NFL.
Although there are no active plans to replace the Linc at this time, the team’s lease is set to expire in 2032, and longtime team owner Jeffrey Lurie said that he and the rest of the team’s leadership are considering the prospect of a new venue.
“We’re starting to talk all about it and think about what our options are,” he said during an interview earlier this month, setting off speculation that the team's Super Bowl victory could hasten that thinking.
Some believe that a new Eagles venue with a roof would give it an edge when it comes to hosting major events like the Super Bowl, which is generally held in an indoor stadium or in cities with temperate climates.
Lurie described himself as “torn” about that prospect in a video posted to social media by SportsRadio 94WIP last week.
“I don't have a strong opinion about it,” he said. “I love outdoor football. I love it. I love the cold games. I like the hot games. I like the snow games. On the other hand, does Philadelphia deserve to host the Super Bowl? The NCAA Final Four? Lots of great events. It's an incredible sports city. Does it deserve that? Yes, so you've got to balance all of those things.”
The Linc is in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, where all of the city’s professional sports teams play. If the Eagles elect to build a new venue nearby, it wouldn't be the only major sports real estate project in the neighborhood.
The Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers are building a new dual-use arena in the complex to replace the Wells Fargo Center.
Sports fans were shocked when the news broke last month, since the Sixers spent years garnering support for a new arena on 12th and Filbert streets.
News of the upcoming South Philly venue, which will be a collaboration between the Sixers and Comcast Spectacor, came less than a month after the Philadelphia City Council greenlighted the NBA team’s highly controversial Center City proposal.
Comcast Spectacor, which owns the South Philly complex, has plans for a $2.5B mixed-use development that would replace some of the neighborhood’s vast parking lots. Stakeholders have discussed building hotels, retail and apartments.
The $15M first phase of the redevelopment, centered on upgrades to the Xfinity Live dining and entertainment center, is expected to wrap up early next year.
The Philadelphia Suburban Development Corp. and its partner Hines also have big plans for a lot on the corner of Packer Avenue and Seventh Street, next to the Live Casino and Hotel. Plans for the proposed Stadium Square project call for 1,367 apartments, 125K SF of retail and 393K SF of office space.
But their vision drew the ire of Comcast Spectacor and some of its allies with the Eagles and Philadelphia Phillies during a city council meeting earlier this year.
Michael Harris, vice president of marketing and government affairs for the Phillies, called the plan an “unprecedented introduction of people, use density and vehicle circulation impacting the sports stadium district in a new 24/7, year-round property use.”
