Introducing Philly Live!

Philadelphia’s 21,000-capacity Wachovia Center is about to get some company with Philly Live!, a retail, dining and entertainment district planned for the area adjacent to the venue.

Venue owner Comcast-Spectacor and The Cordish Company, one of the leading real estate developers in the U.S., announced the joint project January 22nd. The recent agreement between AEG and the Pittsburgh Steelers to build an entertainment complex near Heinz Field came to fruition in part because Cordish Co. withdrew from the project.

"The Cordish Company has an outstanding reputation for creating some of the most popular entertainment districts in the U.S.," Comcast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko said in a statement. "Philadelphia residents are already familiar with south Philadelphia as the destination for sports and entertainment and through this new partnership we intend to create the ultimate entertainment experience this city so vibrantly needs."

The district will offer a variety of year-round attractions, catering to sports and entertainment goers as well as those not attending events. There are plans for a Main Street setting that will include a distinctive canopy covering the center plaza area of the development, offering visitors restaurants, shops and entertainment. The statement noted a 300-room hotel is a possible development option.

Asked whether there was a possibility Philly Live! would include a mid-size theatre, Ike Richman, VP of publicity at Comcast-Spectacor, referred the question to The Cordish Co.

As of press time, Pollstar wasn’t able to contact with a representative.