Award: Multisport arena
Value: $1.5 billion
Location: Philadelphia
Client: The NBA 76ers and NHL Flyers
Turner Construction and AECOM Hunt are adding to their multisport construction portfolio with a $1.5 billion basketball and hockey arena in Philadelphia.
The pair that most recently teamed up on the forthcoming Cleveland Browns NFL stadium build in Ohio clinched the contract to build a new venue for the NBA’s 76ers and the NHL’s Flyers, according to a news release.
The duo will lead PACT+, a joint venture which also includes home-town firms Perryman Construction, Hunter Roberts Construction Group and Camfred Construction to build the new area in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, per the release.
“Having Turner and AECOM Hunt on our team is a game-changer as we work to build the most technologically advanced and fan-focused sports and entertainment venue in the world,” said David Adelman, apartment magnate, investor and part owner of 76ers, as well as chairman of the arena partnership between the 76ers and Flyers. “The knowledge this venture brings to the project will ensure we are on the cutting-edge of the next era of how fans experience live sports and entertainment.”
Though the estimated cost of the arena wasn’t listed in the news release, Adelman’s bio page for his Future Standard investment firm puts the expected price tag at $1.5 billion.
The announcement of the construction team marks a new path forward for the arena in Philadelphia. Previously, the 76ers received a green light from city council to build a $1.3 billion arena atop a SEPTA station in Center City. But officials abruptly pivoted to the location in South Philadelphia early this year, according to local news outlet WHYY, after a long approval process and vocal community opposition.
That puts the planned arena in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, the same part of the city as the stadiums for the NFL’s Eagles – which a Turner JV also built — the MLB’s Phillies and Xfinity Mobile Arena, the 76ers’ and Flyers’ current home.
“Designed to transform the fan experience for decades to come, this venue will feature cutting-edge amenities for athletes, performers, and visitors alike — setting a new standard in large-scale venue design and construction,” said Jason Kopp, COO, Central Region at AECOM Hunt, in the release.
Beyond the recently scored Browns’ stadium, New York City-based Turner and Indianapolis-based AECOM Hunt have a deep sports venue construction portfolio.
Between them, they’ve built Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium and Intuit Dome, Atlanta’s State Farm Arena and New York City’s Barclays Center. The pair is also currently working on the NFL’s Tennessee Titan’s new stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
In Orchard Park, New York, Turner is constructing the Buffalo Bills new stadium with Gilbane Building Company. Meanwhile, AECOM Hunt is working on the $1.45 billion renovation of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ EverBank Stadium in Florida, as a JV with Barton Malow.
The targeted opening date for the new South Philadelphia multisport arena is 2030, coinciding with the debut of a WNBA expansion team which will also play there, according to the release
