Wells Fargo Center Close To Opening Doors To Fans
Just 10-days after a report first surfaced about the Wells Fargo Center asking the city to allow fans, we have an answer.
On Monday, Governor Wolf revised maximum occupancy for indoor & outdoor events to 15% capacity. Which, for the Wells Fargo Center, is about 3000, depending on the event.
Effective statewide today, I am revising and lifting some COVID-19 mitigation restrictions in Pennsylvania.
First, I am revising maximum occupancy limits for both indoor and outdoor events. Second, I am eliminating out-of-state travel restrictions.
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) March 1, 2021
Last friday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer first reported the Wells Fargo Center’s proposal. The proposal was for 5000 fans. Which was about 25% capacity.
Now, that number was always shooting for the stars. Especially with the max occupancy for any indoor & outdoor events around the US being only about 18%.
However, the City of Philadelphia could have approved the proposal. Which would have went around Governor Wolf’s original restriction of 500 people max for indoor events.
Instead, the City of Philadelphia took the proposal under consideration & revised its own guidelines, roughly 100 people, to Governor Wolf’s number of 500 people. Which put the ball back in Wolf’s hands.
With Governor Wolf’s revision today, the ball is now back in the City of Philadelphia hands. Something that could move quickly with the city & Wells Fargo Center having already went through the proposal thoroughly.
However, as reported previously, the Wells Fargo Center seemed to be planning for this. Especially with a source with knowledge of the situation saying last Monday “we hope to have at the very least 12.5-15% capacity when we open the building back to fans.”
With the new numbers, the 5000-person proposal is out of reach. For Flyers games, the capacity will be between 2300-2500 fans. For Sixers games, the capacity will be between 2400-2600 fans.
It is not what the Wells Fargo Center proposed. But, with the latest revision of maximum occupancy, fans will now return to the Wells Fargo Center.
The last time fans were at the Wells Fargo Center was March 11, 2020 for the Sixers vs Pistons. Last Flyers game with fans was March 10, 2020 for the Flyers vs Bruins.