Philadelphia Union break ground on $55 million Sportsplex

The Philadelphia Union held a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday for a new $55 million sports complex developers say will have a major economic impact on the Chester area.

The ceremony celebrated the start of construction of the WSFS Bank Sportsplex, a 365-day-a-year, 170,000 square foot complex in partnership with WSFS Bank.

Philadelphia Union majority owner Jay Sugarman, Philadelphia Union President Tim McDermott, WSFS Chairman, President and CEO Rodger Levenson, and Mayor of Chester, Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland, as well as players from the Philadelphia Union, Philadelphia Union II, Philadelphia Union Academy and Chester High School all attended Monday’s ceremony in Chester, Pennsylvania.

“We are excited to take this important step toward bringing WSFS Bank Sportsplex, a state-of-the-art destination for our local community, youth sports, and our teams, to life,” McDermott said. “This project furthers our commitment to revitalizing the Chester waterfront and creating positive change. We look forward to soon seeing both Union players and community members playing on these fields and utilizing the new training grounds where we will grow the game together.”

Developers say the sportsplex will help revitalize the Chester Waterfront by creating additional jobs and increasing revenue in the community. The project will also bring the Philadelphia Union Academy and YSC Academy to one campus as well as the Union's first and second teams, furthering the commitment to youth development and the player-to-pro pathway, officials said.

“The building is estimated to create $90 million in economic impact over the first decade and provide 500,000 visits annually to the Chester Waterfront,” a Philadelphia Union spokesperson wrote. “In addition to the positive economic impact, the sportsplex will donate hundreds of additional hours in court and field time for community use and health and wellness programming, available to be used by Chester youth and local organizations.”

WSFS Bank also plans to donate 365 hours of field and facility usage to community organizations.

The sports complex will span 32 acres between Subaru Park and the Union Power Plant office building. It will include a 100,000 square foot indoor facility that will be available for community use as well as a 70,000 square foot support building that will house Philadelphia Union II and the Philadelphia Youth Academy.

The indoor facilities will include a 125x75 yard turf field, two multi-sport courts, an 8,000 square foot performance center, 5,000 square feet of flex space for specialized athletic training, and a café for athletes and guests.

The complex will also feature seven outdoor fields for multiple sports including a championship grass field with seating for spectators, two full-size grass fields, one youth-size grass field and three full-size turf fields.

YSC Academy and the Philadelphia Union Academy will move to the Chester campus at some point this year. The outdoor fields are set to be in place by August of this year while the indoor facilities are expected to open in May 2024.

Read more information about the complex here.