Temple stadium moves forward, seeks City approval

Temple University is officially moving forward with its plans to build a $130 million football stadium and mixed-use facility on its campus in North Philly.

Temple announced Thursday its plans to file a project submission to the City Planning Commission as it begins the city approvals process. The news comes nearly two years after the university first announced its plans to build its own football stadium—its football team currently leases the Eagles’ Lincoln Financial Field.

Current plans would keep the height of the north end of the stadium no higher than adjacent row homes on Norris Street.

In addition to the stadium, the plan calls for a mixed-use facility that would house classrooms, meeting and research spaces, and an estimated 28,000-square-feet of retail. It would all be “located entirely within Temple’s existing footprint and owned by the university,” the announcement read.

But the project has been met with much pushback and scrutiny from students, local residents, and the community. In response to Temple’s announcement, a group that calls itself the Stadium Stompers said:

Stadium Stompers opposes the stadium, because it will increase the pace of gentrification and the physical and financial displacement of long term Black residents. The stadium construction is an outright waste of tuition and taxpayer dollars that should be spent on meaningful community benefits like higher campus wages and a tuition freeze. Temple can expect heightened local opposition to the stadium as they move forward without community support.

Temple President Richard M. Englert said the university has spent the past two years meeting with the community and “will continue our conversations with neighbors to address concerns over the impact of the project.”

He continued, ”After more than two years of these discussions, and in light of the project’s tremendous value for Temple and North Philadelphia, I have concluded that the time is right to take this step.”