"Final Stroll" at the Spectrum on October 24: open to the public and free of charge

There will be a Last Stroll at the Spectrum, open to the public and free of charge, on October 24 from 10 AM to 1 PM.

They'll be selling memorabilia there. No suprise.

They'll also be taking orders for Spectrum chairs. I have to see how to go about getting my season ticket seat. I sat there for over 10 years, so IMO they owe me and other former STHs first crack at our seats.

Glens Falls newspaper has a dedicated Phantoms area on its website

CLICK HERE: Adironack Phantoms Hockey: PostStar.com

The Post-Star has established an area on their newspaper's website for Phantoms-related coverage. This will make it that much easier to keep track of the team's local coverage. Hit the link above for details.

For example, here is an interesting article on the prospective roster of next year's Phantoms team. (Even if its headline is apparently unproofread: "Phantoms expects young, fast team".) Contained in it are the following quotes:

The plan is for veteran coach John Paddock to return, Holmgren said. Paddock coached parts of five seasons in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets and the Ottawa Senators. In his most recent NHL stint, he coached 64 games with Ottawa in 2007-08 before being fired. Last season was his first with the Phantoms.

At the AHL level, Paddock has coached in Maine, Hershey, Binghamton, and Hartford, winning a Calder Cup with Hershey.

Paddock will be guiding some familiar faces. Asked to identify a potential returning core, Holmgren mentioned four young forwards: Jonathan Matsumoto, David Laliberte, Patrick Maroon and Jared Ross.

Mastsumoto and Ross were the team's leading scorers with 29 goals each; Laliberte had 28. Ross played 16 games with the Flyers last season.

...

Defensively, Holmgren pegged Michael Ratchuk, Oskars Bartulis and Danny Syvret as potential returners. Syvret led the AHL in scoring for defensemen with 57 points.

Here is an interesting quote from this article on Wednesday's press conference:

But a bit of their Philadelphia home ice will be making its way with the team to Glens Falls.

Ike Richman, vice president of Comcast-Spectacor, said he saved some of the ice when it was taken up after the last game in Philadelphia.

That ice has since melted, but the water is stored in a jar that will be emptied at the Civic Center when the first ice surface is laid down for the hockey season this fall, he said.

New Adirondack Phantoms jersey design unveiled

Purple appears to have been supplanted by orange on the home jersey, and black on the road jersey. The shoulder patches are now Flyers logos, rather than images of Phlex.

Thanks to philabright.com for the image below:

Adirondack Phantoms take up new haunts in Glens Falls

CLICK HERE: Adirondack Phantoms take up new haunts in Glens Falls

Before I post the text of the actual article, I can't help but highlight the EXTREME IRONY of the content of the photo that accompanies the report.



First of all, that's an old-style Phantoms jersey, not the one that we have worn for the past couple of seasons. They couldn't find a current version of the jersey to use for this press conference?

Second of all, take a close look at the shoulder patch. IT'S THE LOGO OF PHLEX WITH THE SPECTRUM.

This is the sort of thing that makes my head go . If anyone connected with the Philly incarnation of the team had had a lick of sense, they would have used last season's Phantoms third jersey, which has a FLYERS LOGO for the shoulder patch. Then again, IMO if the Comcast-side people connected with the Philly incarnation of the team had a lick of sense, or gave a hoot about anything besides the bottom line, the team would still BE in the Philadelphia area.

OK, anyway... rant over. On to the actual article.

Adirondack Phantoms take up new haunts in Glens Falls
Updated: Wednesday, May 6, 2009 3:14 PM EDT

GLENS FALLS -- Ladies and gentlemen, youuuuurrrrr Adirondack Phantoms!

With a new moniker, a new jersey and a new city, the American Hockey League's newest entry in New York was formally introduced this morning during a press conference at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

The team, which co-owner Rob Brooks announced would be called the Adirondack Phantoms, will begin play at the Glens Falls Civic Center this fall, with team officials promising a high-energy, hard-hitting team on the ice and a community-minded team off it.

Glens Falls Mayor Jack Diamond, members of the Common Council, team owners and representatives from the parent club Philadelphia Flyers and GlobalSpectrum were all on hand to make the announcement in Heritage Hall.

City and team officials announced late last month that the Flyers farm team would be moving from Philadelphia to Glens Falls, returning AHL hockey to the region for the first time in a decade, since the Adirondack Red Wings left town after more than 20 seasons here.

For more on the announcement, please continue to visit poststar.com and read more in tomorrow's Post-Star.

Adirondack Phantoms introduced in Glens Falls

From the AHL's official site:

CLICK HERE: Adirondack Phantoms introduced in Glens Falls

Adirondack Phantoms introduced in Glens Falls

05/06/2009 9:59 AM

The Brooks Group, new owners of the Philadelphia Flyers' American Hockey League affiliate, today formally introduced the Adirondack Phantoms to Glens Falls, N.Y.

"Having the Phantoms playing here in Glens Falls creates some great rivalries. So, to all the New York teams in the AHL, beware of the Phantoms," said Glens Falls mayor Jack Diamond.

"Glens Falls is a terrific hockey town and the players are going to enjoy playing here," said Comcast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko.

"We're gonna have a young, hard-working team. All of our players will be very active in the community," said Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren. "We're looking forward to writing a new history for hockey in Glens Falls."

The Adirondack Phantoms will begin play at the Glens Falls Civic Center in 2009-10. The Civic Center is managed by Global Spectrum a subsidiary of Flyers' parent company, Comcast-Spectacor.

PA state funding for the Allentown/Lehigh Valley arena has fallen through

CLICK HERE: State support for hockey arena evaporates, according to Gov. Rendell

CLICK HERE: Governor Rendell nixes state funding for Lehigh Valley hockey arena

It appears that the plans to build a new arena in Allentown are in jeopardy. The state, which had originally written $30M into its budget for the purpose of funding the arena's construction, has taken that money off the table.

My personal suggestion is that the Brooks Group should seriously consider becoming a tenant of an already-existing arena in the Philly region, if funding a new venue turns out to be impossible to come by. I wonder when the ECHL Trenton Devils'lease expires at the Sovreign Bank Arena? Maybe Brooks Group needs to become Extremely Aggressive about landing the next lease in that arena after the Devils' time there is done. But at this point, I''m- just thinking aloud in print.

AHL Board of Governors approves sale and relocation of Phantoms

Not that this should come as a surprise, but the AHL Board of Governors has voted to allow the sale of the Phantoms franchise. They have also approved the team's transfer to Glens Falls, NY.

AHL hockey team moving to Glens Falls

AHL hockey team moving to Glens Falls

By PETE DOUGHERTY, Staff writer

After a 10-year absences, the city of Glens Falls once again has an American Hockey League franchise.

The league's board of governors, meeting today in Chicago, approved the transfer of ownership of the Philadelphia Phantoms to a newly formed entity known as Phantoms Hockey LLC, owned by the Brooks Group.

In addition, the new owners were given approval to move the franchise from Philadelphia to Glens Falls, beginning with the 2009-10 season.

The move is seen as a boost to the Albany River Rats, who supported the city's efforts to gain a franchise since the Adirondack Red Wings departed after the 1998-99 season.

The Rats' average attendance has fallen 26 percent in the past decade, and Albany team officials attribute much of that to the lack of a geographic rival.

The AHL also approved the relocation of the Quad Cities franchise to Abbotsford, British Columbia, and the addition of a franchise in Austin, Texas.

The Phantoms were looking to move because their Philadelphia home, the Wachovia Spectrum, is being demolished to make room for an entertainment development.

"On behalf of our board, it's my privilege to welcome these three cities to the AHL family," AHL president Dave Andrews said in a statement. "We are looking forward to these new opportunities in Austin and Abbotsford, and we're excited to be returning to the rich AHL tradition and history in Glens Falls."

Last Spectrum Ice melts away :(

SIIIIIGH... I profoundly regret having to be the bearer of these sad tidings.

Global Spectrum’s Chris Jennings uses the zamboni to remove the last ice ever at the Spectrum. After 42 years, the former home of the Philadelphia Flyers (1967-96) and Philadelphia Phantoms (1996-2009) will close at the end of 2009 to make way for Philly Live, a retail, restaurant and entertainment district.

Phantoms' new owners ink a lease with Glens Falls

We interrupt this playoff coverage to report something semi-concrete about the future of the Phantoms franchise.

Glens Falls Lands AHL Team

The salient points:

- If Glens Falls has 2500 subscriptions by the end of this month, they are guaranteed to have the franchise

- They have less than half that number of subscriptions as of tonight

- The contract includes an "out" clause for the Brooks Group to back out if the number of subscribers falls short

Hence, I say "semi-concrete". Heck, the AHL's Board of Governors has yet to finalize their approval of the sale of the team, and as Brooks Group owns part of the Penguins franchise, that could translate into a conflict of interest. In that case, the league could vote down the sale.

Anyway... here is the actual article.

Glens Falls Lands AHL Team

| Recommend 5

3-Year Lease Has Ticket Stipulation

April 22, 2009 - 3:52 PM

GLENS FALLS -- For the first time since the Adirondack Red Wings left town in 1999, the city of Glens Falls is back in the American Hockey League. The Philadelphia Phantoms signed a three year lease Wednesday evening to move their AHL franchise to the Glens Falls Civic Center. But the fine print on the contract says that if 2,500 season tickets are not sold by Tuesday, then the Phantoms can back out of the deal.

As of Wednesday night, the GFCC wasn't quite halfway to that lofty threshold. But the number of tickets sold seems to be quite pliable, "If we get 25-hundred we're guaranteed to bring the team (to Glens Falls). If we get a little under that we'll make a decision whether we do it this year or not", says Phantoms owner Rob Brooks. He also added that there is still a chance the franchise would be dormant this coming season.

Senator Chuck Schumer, who has been an advocate of the move for months, says, "This is great news, not only for the Glens Falls area where it will be an economic boost to the city, but to a great hockey rivalry that will occur along the Hudson River between the River Rats and the new Glens Falls team".

During its heyday in the 1990's, the Glens Falls-Albany AHL rivalry regularly played to large crowds, both at the Civic Center and at the then named Knickerbocker Arena. Since the Red Wings left town a decade ago the River Rats have badly missed their "Northway Rival" in terms of ticket sales.

Glens Falls was home to the Adirondack Red Wings from 1979 until 1999, during which time the franchise won four Calder Cups and typically enjoyed tremendous community support.

The Phantoms need a new home since their facility in Philadelphia, The Spectrum, is destined for the wrecking ball. There's no word yet whether the franchise would keep the name Phantoms, or come up with a new nickname.

The Phantoms franchise has been sold

Here is the announcement on the Flyers homepage:

Phantoms Sold

Comcast-Spectacor Sells Philadelphia Phantoms

Team to relocate with closing of Spectrum; final game on April 10

Philadelphia Flyers

Feb 4, 2009, 5:36 PM EST

(Philadelphia, PA) - Comcast-Spectacor, the Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment firm, announced today it has reached an agreement to sell the Philadelphia Phantoms hockey team, the Flyers top American Hockey League affiliate, to the Brooks Group, of Pittsburgh, PA, owners and investors of other minor league hockey and baseball teams. In keeping with company policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Comcast-Spectacor will continue to operate the Phantoms until the conclusion of the 2008-09 hockey season.

“This was a very difficult decision for us to make,” said Comcast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko. “When we decided to close the Spectrum we explored many alternatives for relocating the Phantoms and this really became the best scenario.

“We want to thank the thousands of fans who supported the Phantoms over the past 13 seasons,” added Luukko. “We had two Calder Cup Championship Teams and many wonderful memories.”

With this being the final season of the Wachovia Spectrum, the Phantoms will play the final regular season hockey game ever in the Spectrum on Friday, April 10 against the Hershey Bears (a new date from the previously scheduled game on Sunday, April 12).

“The Phantoms far exceeded all of our expectations,” said Luukko. “The Phantoms were and will continue to be a tremendous asset to helping us develop future Philadelphia Flyers. We will miss having them share the same sports complex and the same training facility which was an incredible advantage to us."

All individual adult tickets for remaining Phantoms games are now $10 and kids tickets are only $5. Tickets can be purchased exclusively through ComcastTIX at ComcastTIX.com, phantomshockey.com, 1-800-298-4200 or in person at the Wachovia Complex box office.

In addition to owning the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL, the Brooks Group have ownership interests in the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and three minor league baseball teams: the Altoona Curve (Class AA for the Pirates), the State College Spikes (Class A for the Pirates), and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Class A for the Atlanta Braves).

“We have been involved in professional sports for many years, and this particular opportunity is very exciting to us,” Rob Brooks said. “We plan on announcing the long term plans for the Phantoms in the next few weeks and look forward to continuing the team's great tradition of excitement, winning, and providing great family entertainment.”

Comcast-Spectacor announced that the Wachovia Spectrum, where the Phantoms have played since their inaugural season in 1996-97, will close and be razed in the fall of 2009. Demolition of the Spectrum will make way for Philly Live, a spectacular new retail, restaurant, and entertainment district. Cordish Company, of Baltimore, MD, a world-renowned developer of similar projects throughout North America, is partnering with Comcast-Spectacor in Philly Live.

The American Hockey League granted the Flyers an AHL franchise on December 18, 1995. The Phantoms made their home ice debut at the Spectrum hosting the defending Calder Cup champion Rochester Americans on October 6, 1996. The Phantoms prevailed 3-1 with Shawn McCosh recording the Phantoms first-ever home ice goal at 5:58 of the first period.

The Phantoms captured the Calder Cup twice – June 10, 1998 in front of 17,380 fans at the Spectrum, the largest crowd ever to see a Calder Cup playoff game in AHL history, and again on June 10, 2005.

That's it, then. The Cash Cow's death warrant has been signed, and the death sentence will be executed upon the start of the Phantoms' offseason.

Now they will continue to claim to celebrate the life of the Cash Cow and pretend to honor the Spectrum. But all they're really doing is trying to salvage some income that they can throw into the Money Pit that I sincerely believe Philly Live! will become.

Here's to the REAL people who deserve celebrating: the people who actually make the Phantoms' team function on and off the ice, and the fans who love the team. All of us will be screwed over when the season is complete.

And so will the Flyers, when push comes to shove, because the Flyers have been quite adamant all along that they WANT their farm team nearby and the WANT them practicing in the Skate Zone along with the parent club. If being one of the crown jewels of the ¢om¢a$t-$p€¢ta¢or empire isn't enough to get your wishes considered, the peons known as the fan base have ZERO chance of qualifying as even an afterthought.

Let's enjoy the season we have left. If we're lucky, next season the farm team will crop up somewhere in this time zone, so we can at least watch the games online at a reasonable hour.

More articles covering the Phantoms' possible relocation

From the Press of Atlantic City:

Report: A.C. ruled out as home for Phantoms

The relevant info -- it's actually the whole article in this case, unlike some of the other articles from which I've quoted excerpts:

Maybe hockey won't be back after all.

Local ice hockey fans, who had their fingers crossed hoping the Philadelphia Phantoms would play at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, might have to wait longer to get hockey in their backyard.

According to report on Phillyburbs.com, Philadelphia Flyers president Peter Luuko said that the organization has ruled out Atlantic City and other New Jersey locales as a temporary home for its top minor-league team on Tuesday night.

However, Jeffrey Vasser, executive director of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority, said he hasn't heard about of any decisions and is supposed to speak with the organization again after the holidays.

The report goes on to say Philadelphia is considering selling the Phantoms and allowing the team to relocate to another city while the Flyers would maintain control of the players, which Vasser has known to be an option.

The Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia, where the Phantoms have played for 12 years, is scheduled to be demolished after this season. Atlantic City had preliminary talks with the Flyers dating back to last summer.

Atlantic City, along with Trenton and Philadelphia's Wachovia Center, were considered temporary sites while a possible new arena is built in Allentown, Pa., or the Cherry Hill area. Now the Phantoms could go as far Massachusetts, according to the report.

Boardwalk Hall last hosted hockey at the arena in 2004 when the Boardwalk Bullies of the minor-league East Coast Hockey League played there. The Bullies moved to Stockton, Calif.

Here's an actual blurb from The Philadelphia Inquirer, but it's relegated to half-an-afterthought near the end of this game recap. Here are the relevant two sentences:

Phantoms in limbo
Peter Luukko, president of Comcast-Spectacor, said there are "several options" concerning the Phantoms, the Flyers' AHL affiliate that will be homeless when the Wachovia Spectrum closes after this season.

"We could move the team, we could sell them, we could find another affiliate - we're still working it all out and probably won't have it all figured out until after the New Year," Luukko said last night.

The Organ-Eye-Zation really found a way to impinge itself on the Phantoms Faithful's attempts to enjoy our holiday. Now the miserable rotten idea that a bunch of businesspeople, who negotiate for a living, might not even be motivated enough to come to an agreement about where a team will play for the next few years -- even when the FLYERS adamantly want the farm team as close by as possible and sharing the Skate Zone practice facility -- is a disgrace. It's a shame that it's the parent company of the Flyers, and not the Flyers themselves, in charge of making the decision. We'd have an answer already, and it would be a lot more pleasing to local hockey fans than the results of the seeming INDIFFERENCE of the Comcast-Spectacor powers-that-be. Said businesspeople ought to be the ones having a holiday full of frustration, not the fans. The Powers-that-be should be ashamed of themselves for putting a loyal fan base through the wringer.

And that's as much as I'm willing to expound on the topic at the moment. I don't want to get overly worked up, or I'll NEVER get to sleep.

12/20 Wrapup; the latest news on the Phantoms' future is unpleasant

Imagine my surprise when I went to post information on what the Phantoms might be doing after this season, only to realize that I hadn't posted the official game recap or box score. Oops. I honestly thought I already posted these links -- sorry for the delay!

Here's the Phantoms' site game recap. And HERE is the link to the box score.

OK, now for the unhappy task of offering the latest news on where the Phantoms might be playing next season.

Turns out that they might not even be owned by the Flyers/Comcast-Spectacor, never mind playing anywhere near here.

Once again, we must turn to the SUBURBAN newspapers to get news on a PHILADELPHIA team. The Philly papers, apparently, couldn't give a rodent's posterior about reporting this information, but the papers from Delaware County, Bucks County, and south NJ all have articles.

I wish a GIANT BAH, HUMBUG on the corporate Grinches and Scrooges who are responsible for taking our team away from its loyal fan base. I hope they all get coal in their stockings. No, I take that back, since nothing's finalized yet.

What I REALLY hope for the Corporate Bigwigs is that their emotions in the aftermath of their decision-making are PRECISELY the same as the emotions of the Phantoms Fans who are impacted by their decisions. In other words, if they make us happy, may the results of their decisions make them happy. But if they break our hearts, well... what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, isn't it? I'd wager that we care about our team like the bigwigs care about their bankroll, so let the fates of the two be identical. Let the bigwigs' feelings, as they review the state of what THEY care about most, mirror those of us fans as we ponder the state of our team. May those feelings be duplicated right down to the last atom.

OK, now that I've gotten that out of my system for the moment, here is the newspaper coverage on the subject.

From the Delco Times:

Flyers Scoop: Hershey not so sweet

The relevant excerpt is as follows:

PHILADELPHIA - The Flyers have had had their minor league affiliate either in town with them or at the furthest 90 miles away in Hershey for nearly a quarter century.

That run is about to end.

Flyers president Peter Luukko said the team hasn't decided what to do with the Phantoms after this season, but it's almost a guarantee that there won't be minor league hockey in the Philadelphia area come next fall.

Luukko all but nixed the idea of the team moving to Atlantic City, N.J. as a temporary home until local investors could build a new arena for the Phantoms to play that would be relatively close to Philadelphia.

"We have several options at this point," Luukko said. "We could move the team, we could sell them, we could find another affiliate - we're still working it all out and probably won't have it all figured out until after the New Year."

With local investors in both Camden County, New Jersey and Allentown, Pa. trying to cut through political red tape to have arenas built that could house an American League team, it's a good bet that Comcast-Spectacor will sell the Phantoms to a prospective buyer (a company source said there are several potential buyers interested in purchasing the franchise), who would then move the team elsewhere.

Then, they would sign an affiliation agreement with one of the AHL cities that has independent ownership but might have a contract with another team expiring at the end of this season.

There are usually a handful of these situations that come about each year. Springfield, Mass. (Falcons) is one possibility for next season as their affiliation with Edmonton expires at the end of the season.

Hershey, which would be an ideal location, is locked into the Washington Capitals for one more season.

Ultimately, the Flyers would like to bring their affiliation back to the area, but Luukko said that possibility is at least four years down the road, if not longer.

Comcast-Spectacor forced themselves to make a decision of this ilk on the Phantoms when they announced in January plans for a multi-million dollar entertainment complex known as Philly Live! to be built between the Wachovia Center and where the Spectrum now sits.

They later announced the Spectrum would be razed as part of the project to make room for a posh hotel.

Luukko also said locations such as Trenton, N.J. or the Wachovia Center itself were not feasible destinations for the Phantoms, even on a short-term basis.

From the Courier Post:

Phantoms' future murky

I was going to quote the relevant portion of the above article, but there ISN'T one. The only Phantoms-related content it has, at the moment, is its title. I emailed the editors to request that they either restore the edited-out content about the Phantoms' future, or create a new article with the Phantoms-related information in it. We'll see if they take me up on either of those suggestions; if they do, I'll update this post accordingly.

From Phillyburbs.com:

Phantoms' affiliation with Flyers may end

Here is the relevant excerpt:

PHILADELPHIA — For years, the Flyers have enjoyed a productive and convenient relationship with their American Hockey League affiliate, the Phantoms.

The Phantoms have won two Calder Cups in their 12-year tenure in Philly and developed many Flyers prospects along the way. But there's a chance that connection could radically change when this season concludes.

With the Wachovia Spectrum scheduled for demolition next year, it was already known that the Phantoms probably would not be playing in Philadelphia in the future.

Tuesday night, Flyers president Peter Luukko disclosed that there's a good possibility the Phantoms will be sold and relocated to another city — such as Springfield, Mass. (the Falcons' contract with the Edmonton Oilers runs out this season) — while the Flyers maintain control of their players.

Such a move would allow Comcast-Spectacor to possibly wait several years to build a new arena nearby in places such as Allentown or Camden.

The Flyers have had an affiliate with the AHL since 1984-85 when they began an association with the Hershey Bears. The Flyers then moved their AHL connection to Philadelphia when they started the Phantoms in the 1996-97 season.

Luukko ruled out Atlantic City, Trenton and the Wachovia Center as possible temporary homes for the Phantoms.

I have a sick feeling that we're going to end up with no Phantoms, no Spectrum, and even then Philly Live! Dead. will be DOA because of lack of ability to secure funding to even get started. Not that I give a flying [reproductive act] about the fate of Philly Live! Dead., mind you -- I wish I'd never heard of it. But I just get this feeling that we fans are going to lose something we care about, for a project that will never end up seeing the light of day.

But even if Philly Live! Dead. dies on the vine, God forbid that The Greedy Powers-That-Be should spare the Spectrum and leave the Phantoms team where it is. That would be too big of a loss of face for the Corporate Bigwigs. So they'll continue with their plans, unabated, as if nothing's amiss -- until we end up with a big hole in the ground or an extra-large parking lot at Broad and Pattison as a testament to their bull-headedness.

The latest unofficial info on where the Phantoms will go: Bellmawr

During the September PPPC Meeting, then-COO Frank Miceli was our guest speaker and told the Phan Club that there were six sites in southern NJ that Comcast-Spectacor was looking at, as potential places where the Phantoms could play if an arena was built (by some other developer -- Comcast-Spectacor has stated outright that they won't build one themselves).

Perhaps this article is about one of those six sites. Frank couldn't tell us more than "there are six sites", as the process of investigation was nowhere near far enough along for details to be made public.

In any event, CLICK HERE for a blog post about a potential site in Bellmawr, NJ, near the I-42/I-295 interchange.

Spectrum Arena and Bass Pro Shop in Bellmawr, NJ - Update

December 06, 2008 • 5:46 pm

By Adam Monacelli

The site for the proposed Bellmawr waterfront arena project is near the Route 42-Interstate 295 interchange.

By ADAM SMELTZ • Courier-Post Staff

A Bellmawr developer has proposed that an arena to replace the Wachovia Spectrum could take shape in the borough, near the Route 42-Interstate 295 interchange, Mayor Frank Filipek said Friday.

The firm, Develcom, has already undertaken a multi-year commercial development project at the property, which borders the southwest edge of the interchange. New revisions to those plans, posted on the project Web site at www.bellmawrwaterfront.com, suggest a major arena could be incorporated there just east of Big Timber Creek.

Other elements in the published plans include hotels, retail space and a large cinema, all outlined by Develcom.

Filipek said the development firm made its new-arena pitch to the Spectrum’s owner, Comcast-Spectacor, which plans to tear down the South Philadelphia landmark next year.

A meeting to gauge Comcast-Spectacor’s interest should happen sometime in the coming weeks, Filipek said. He said he and representatives from Develcom and Comcast-Spectacor are expected to attend.

“It’s a great proposal,” Filipek said.” . . . I’ve heard they’re very interested in Bellmawr.”

He said he has “really never thought about” what the project could mean for the borough.

“I’m not going to think about it until it comes to reality,” Filipek said. “. . . Until (Comcast-Spectacor) says they’re definitely coming — then I will say what it means for Bellmawr.”

Under an agreement with the Camden County Improvement Authority, Develcom cannot speak with reporters about the matter and must refer inquiries to the authority, said company President Charles Gollub.

Authority Executive Director Frederic Weinstein declined to comment Friday.

“If or when the appropriate time comes, we’re happy to share any and all information with the press and the community,” Gollub said.

Comcast-Spectacor, based in Philadelphia, announced in July that it will demolish the 41-year-old arena, a popular concert venue and home to the Philadelphia Phantoms hockey team.

Since the announcement, Comcast-Spectacor executives have said they need to find a new venue to host the Phantoms. Chairman Ed Snider has said such an arena should seat at least 7,000 fans in order to accommodate the American Hockey League team.

But to attract concerts, an arena’s total capacity would need to be more than that, Snider has said.

Comcast-Spectacor did not comment Friday specifically on the Bellmawr prospect. In a prepared statement sent to the Courier-Post, company President Peter Luukko said the group is in talks with multiple groups about relocating the Phantoms.

The company “is not building a new arena,” Luukko said. “However, if someone is building a new arena, we would like to talk to them about potentially moving the Phantoms there.”

He said the company has held “very preliminary discussions about sites in South Jersey. At this time, there is nothing definitive.”

In September, Cherry Hill Township spokesman Dan Keashen said his municipality was “cautiously excited to be considered a prospective location.” In August, Luukko said Atlantic City and the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania also were among the possibilities.

Reached Friday, county Freeholder-Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said he understands Comcast-Spectacor reviewed several Camden County sites, including ones in Bellmawr, Cherry Hill and Winslow.

He said such a new venue would be an asset for the area.

“We don’t really have a facility that can accommodate several thousand people in Camden County or the region,” Cappelli said. He said the addition could help attract conferences and other major events.

Real-estate executive Eliott Fuhrman, once involved in the Garden State Park development talks in Cherry Hill, said a new arena would probably require a partnership of public and private entities.

“It really has to be a public-private partnership,” said Fuhrman, general partner in Maryland-based Glencoe and Associates. “Financially, a convention center or a stadium cannot be self-sustaining, especially in today’s economy, because there’s no access for funding. It has to be public-private.”

Fuhrman also said a new arena would probably be a better fit in Pennsauken — at the old Pennsauken Mart site — than it would be in Bellmawr. He said the Pennsauken site would plant the arena closer to Philadelphia and its hockey fans, and offer more opportunities for additional redevelopment surrounding the arena.

“Let’s face it: You go right down Haddonfield Road (from Pennsauken), and you’re at the Cherry Hill Mall,” Fuhrman said. “People could go to dinner before or after” events.