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Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Spectrum: Another box bites the dust
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So Ed Snider plans to blow up the Spectrum at the end of the 2008-2009 season, soon to join the ghosts of sports venues past. This is getting to be a tradition down there on South Broad.

"This has been one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make," Snider said today.  "The Spectrum is my baby. It's one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me..."

If true, then Snider's life isn't nearly as exciting as we thought.

The new venue, currently named Philly Live!, will be an entertainment and game complex that could feature a hotel, restaurants, bars, stores and more.

If Snider manages to wrangle state and/or city funding for this project, public screaming should commence immediately.

Then again, Snider is one of the major names in the stalled Foxwoods Casino project on the riverfront. Plans for the new entertainment complex are not detailed but there are plans for major enterainerment while relocating the sports teams that now play at the Spectrum.

All of this has the distinct smell of.....slots.

Posted by Karen Heller @ 11:02 AM  Permalink | 6 comments
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Comments
Posted by James 12:47 PM, 07/15/2008
Last January when the scheme was announced, I suggested saving the Spectrumas an entertainment venue since to construct a new arena with the seating capacity of the Spectrum would cost $250 million dollars or more. Unfortunately, this fell on deaf ears. Guess they want to build a new entertainment venue and demolish a 42 year old building fully depreciated and with renovation needs to its physical plant needing work. They may well be right to do that as opposed to building around the building. That means everything will go to Wachovia Center which will be kept busy all the time. I am sure the Phantoms hockey team is a keeper, but the KIXX, Soul are teams that can fade away if hte league becomes less viable. That could be what is factored in their decision justifying demolishing the Spectrum.
Posted by Karen Heller 01:32 PM, 07/15/2008
Just look and see who is behind the stalled Foxwoods Casino project and you will see one Ed Snider. Get your slots here.
Posted by PhillyHockeyBuff 02:53 PM, 07/15/2008
The Soul just made the Arena Bowl in New Orleans vs. defending AFL champ, San Jose. Give 'em a chance at least. It's been 5 years, people. As Ric Flair said in all his years of wrestling, 35 of them, I think, "To be the man, you gotta BEAT the man" and right now, THAT "man" in the AFL is their opponent in the upcoming ArenaBowl, San Jose! I think they were what? 13-3 this year? Best record in the league and co-owner with Jaworski, Jon Bon Jovi, has helped a lot of families in Philadelphia by helping to build houses for lower income people, with members of the Soul even chipping in to help build them too. IF the Soul upset San Jose in the ArenaBowl coming up, should THEY be eliminated too? I think not! GOOOOO SOUL!!!
Posted by susanmack 03:01 PM, 07/15/2008
The old Spectrum site is far and away a better site for Foxwoods than the waterfront, but the 'public screaming' predicted to commence will reflect the growing power and sophistication of the anti-casino folks which came about as a result of the ham-handed choice of the waterfront site at the beginning.
Posted by JS27 05:42 PM, 07/15/2008
If Snider manages to wrangle state and/or city funding for this project, public screaming should commence immediately. Yeah, just like he wrangled all the money to build the Center...oh wait, he paid for it himself.
Posted by mobbed up casino owner 07:54 PM, 07/17/2008
...here a slot ...there a slot... everywhere a slot, slot! I've got plans for "Philly Live!" E I E I O! (ha ha ha!)
6 comments
About Karen Heller
Karen Heller has interviewed Philip Roth and Zsa Zsa Gabor, spent time with Pink and the Philadelphia Orchestra, the celebrated and the exemplary unsung. She's covered Miss America and political conventions. She's been a provocative voice at The Inquirer for nearly 20 years, garnering awards for criticism, feature writing and investigative reporting, and was a finalist for the 2001 Pulitzer Prize in commentary.
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