Maybe four times is the charm: Philadelphia’s Wachovia Center, the hone of the Philadelphia 76ers and the Philadelphia Flyers, is now Wells Fargo Center, reflecting consolidation in the nation’s banking industry.
Wachovia was taken over by Wells Fargo at the end of 2008.
The arena opened Aug. 31, 1996 as the CoreStates Center, becoming the First Union Center on Sept. 1, 1998 and renamed Wachovia Center on July 28, 2003.
“As the owner and operator of the arena, Comcast-Spectacor is honoring the contract as it was agreed upon with the bank that the successor shall keep the naming rights of the facility,†said Comcast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko. “Therefore, we will change the name of the arena to reflect the name change from Wachovia to Wells Fargo and continue to operate the arena as the world class facility which it has become.â€
Workers will begin removing the Wachovia Center sign from the arena on Tuesday, July 27. The transition from Wachovia Center to Wells Fargo Center, which includes replacing all signs, is expected to be completed by Tuesday, September 14, when Lady Gaga performs the first of two sold out shows at the Wells Fargo Center.
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