The Spectrum signs off : The Temple News

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The Spectrum signs off

After four sold-out Pearl Jam shows the last week of October, the legendary building that served as the site of championships and concerts over the years, closed its doors.

Beer cost a dime at the concession stand.

A slice of pizza cost a quarter, a roast beef sandwich just 75 cents, and a 12-ounce soda – the largest size available – cost a quarter. These were just some of the items on the Wachovia Spectrum’s (then simply named the Spectrum) menu in September 1967.

The Spectrum, which opened Sep. 30, 1967 with the two-day Quaker City Jazz Festival, closed its doors Oct. 31 after a four-show concert series by Pearl Jam. The arena’s closing signals the end of an incredible era and marks, or at least Comcast-Spectacor and The Cordish Company would hope, the beginning of a new era.

Demolition of the Spectrum is set for this spring and in its place will be Philly Live!, a Main Street-style concourse that will connect Citizens Bank Park and the Wachovia Center and will be lined with shops, bars and restaurants.

“Our vision when we built the Wachovia Center was to create the ultimate sports destination. Philly Live! is the dining and retail entertainment component of that vision. And, Philly Live! will not be limited to the sports and entertainment goers. This property will be open to everyone, every day, whether they are attending an event or not,” Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider said in a press release.

Since the opening of the Spectrum, it has seen three name changes, countless concerts and been home to a number of Philadelphia sports teams. The Spectrum, ...

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