South Philly's entertainment venue Xfinity Live! set to open at sports complex

QUICKLY AND quietly, South Philadelphia's fourth sports venue is rising from rubble where the Spectrum once stood.

With inviting fire pits, patio seating and an outdoor bar built from Spectrum bricks, Xfinity Live! opens in the shadow of the Wells Fargo Center, Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field with the bang of a free, outdoor concert performed by Third Eye Blind just 3 weeks from today.

Open the doors to South Philly's new, 60,000-square-foot palace and you will be drawn to the centerpiece, NBC Sports Arena's custom-built, 37-foot HD television with a sports ticker that surrounds the "Philadelphia Marketplace."

Picture this: a 37-foot television flanked by nine 65-inch flat panels on the left, another nine on the right, and eight more 65-inchers below, as the backdrop to a room-length granite bar.

The price tag on Xfinity Live's! high-def audio and visual equipment alone is a staggering $3 million.

Call it Philadelphia's new Cathedral of Sport.

The church's doors will be open every day - regardless of whether there is an event in the sports complex - from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. beginning on March 30.

The Daily News was given a hard hat and an exclusive, all-access tour to Xfinity Live! yesterday as a preview for the unfinished entertainment complex.

"It's Philadelphia's new entertainment complex," said developer Reed Cordish, of The Cordish Group. He said more than 800 permanent jobs will be created by the new venue. "Xfinity Live! will work in great synergy with the stadiums in the complex, but fans will soon learn that it is a destination in and of itself."

You will feel an energy and an excitement, like walking into an arena or stadium, when you enter Xfinity Live!, where more than 350 construction workers are hustling day and night to have it open in time for Phillies' Opening Day and the Flyers' and Sixers' playoff runs.

"Personally, I can't wait to see it open," Comcast-Spectacor chairman Ed Snider said. "Xfinity Live! will be the most exciting venue of its type, anywhere in the world. We're confident it will be a tremendous success."

Undoubtedly, the hook is the NBC Sports Arena's technology, though that is just the main welcoming hall for fans looking for a drink or a bite to eat before or after a game or concert. In the back of the stadium-like seating and enormous, eight-person booths, various concession stands will boast big names. Take your pick from Chickie's & Pete's famous crab fries, an Original Nick's Roast Beef sandwich, or the fresh catch from Phillip's Seafood's raw bar.

To the left of that, near the entrance at the corner of Pattison Avenue and 11th Street, will be Mitchell & Ness' small retail outlet, which features the Sixers' original center court and actual hockey dasher boards from the Spectrum.

Sound too corporate? Fans won't be bogged down by merchandise and retail sales.

"We want to exceed everyone's expectations when they come here," Cordish said. "At the end of the day, this is a true district. Hopefully, it's something for everybody.

"There's great restaurants. There's entertainment. There's the outdoor event space. Permanent outdoor space and lounge. Very different than a singular restaurant or bar. We want to capture people and let people experience it."

The complex is dedicated to family-friendly activities during the day before switching over to an adult-oriented theme park of booze and eats. There will be a turf recreation field outside for youngsters and video games for play on some televisions.

There are four anchor restaurants that branch out from the NBC Sports Arena: Broad Street Bullies Pub, the Spectrum Grill, PBR Bar and Grill and Victory Beer Hall. In addition to a unique, sit-down menu in each venue, all will feature a different entertainment aspect. The focus is on an experience.

"I never want to knock arena food, but the culinary options here are going to be incredible," Cordish said. "Also unlike a stadium, the food will be affordable. I think that's going to surprise a lot of people. They're not going to have to pay an arm and a leg."

The wait staff at the Broad Street Bullies Pub, with gastropub type menu and gourmet burgers, is actually required to have a working knowledge of one of the toughest teams in hockey history.

There is also a stage in the Bullies Pub, which will feature acoustic rock 6 nights a week. To the side of the stage will be televisions with Nintendo Wii interactive video games.

If you want a more intimate, fine-dining experience, jump across the hall to the Spectrum Grill, where Comcast-Spectacor is touting a Wolfgang Puck-trained chef.

"It will be on par with any steakhouse in the city," Cordish boasted.

At the other end of Xfinity Live!, facing the Wells Fargo Center and the outdoor patios, will be PBR Bar and Grill and Victory Beer Hall. Yes, PBR stands for Professional Bullriders Association. The Tex-Mex cuisine will be highlighted by flowing tequila and a live, mechanical bull in the center. PBR also has flagship spots in Las Vegas and Kansas City.

Victory Beer Hall, highlighted by the Philadelphia-based brewery's craft choices, may be the coolest stop on the quadrangle. It is designed in a German Oktoberfest style, with live bands and long, conversation-creating tables. No word if Das Boot will be making an appearance for drinking contests.

Overlooking Victory will be a private, VIP lounge that also has private dining rooms and plush leather seating.

"It's a place to see and be seen," Cordish said.

Cordish said athletes and entertainers already have contacted Xfinity Live! about being included, Xfinity Live! is about the fans.

Parking will be free on days when there are not events. The parking fees also will be waived once an event is more than half over, to make it a postgame hangout.

Xfinity Live! will be the new heart and soul of South Philadelphia.

"The neighborhood has grown up," Comcast-Spectacor COO Peter Luukko said. "We've had these development rights since we've owned the . We've got the beautiful new baseball stadium, the football stadium, this arena. All that open space. There is beautiful housing. The Navy Yard has become vibrant again. The timing is finally perfect for it. There won't be anything else like it."