The South Philadelphia Sports Complex is the current home of Philadelphia's professional sports teams, located in the South Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the site of the Wells Fargo Center, Lincoln Financial Field, Citizens Bank Park, and the retail/entertainment center Xfinity Live!.HistoryThe South Philadelphia Sports Complex was also once home to John F. Kennedy Stadium, Veterans Stadium and the Spectrum. Prior to its development, it was a shanty town known as "The Neck" of the undeveloped League Island area, formerly Passyunk Township. Oregon Avenue was the southern border end of the city up to the 1920s.In 1926 the City selected the area south of Oregon Avenue for the 1926 Sesquicentennial International Exposition and developed the large river delta land south of Oregon Avenue. South Broad Street was a grand European-styled boulevard surrounded by massive exhibit buildings and structures that were to be a testament to American science, culture, and progress for the future. Following the close of the celebration of this 150 years of American Independence on the Avenue of the Colonies of South Broad Street came quick total demolition except of the stadium.Prior to building Veterans Stadium across Packer Avenue north of JFK Stadium was family entertainment of a bowling alley, and a drive-in theater that was a venue created by Camden, New Jersey, chemical company magnate Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr., whose family owned and operated the R.M. Hollingshead Corporation chemical plant in Camden and that peaked in popularity in the 1950s and 1960s.
