Philadelphia Union to build $55 million sports complex

• By Cory Sharber/WHYY

The Philadelphia Union is building a 32-acre sports complex on the Chester Waterfront, looking to attract visitors to the area and success to the soccer club.

The WSFS Bank Sportsplex will be located between Subaru Park and the Union Power Plant office building. Plans revealed Tuesday include seven fully lit outdoor fields, four of which will be grass and three will be turf. Two indoor facilities making up at least 170,000 square feet will also be constructed and will include a 20,000 square feet performance center with a weight room and two full size courts.

The YSC Academy and the Philadelphia Union Academy will also move to the Chester campus beginning in 2023.

Team President Tim McDermott says to him personally, this project was about creating a legacy.

“Something that, you know, I’ve thought long and hard about over the last couple of years, what do I pass on to my own kids when they can look at this and see that this is something really special that we’ve created,” McDermott said.

Owner Jay Sugarman says the sportsplex will make the Philadelphia Union campus a “premier location for soccer and sports on the east coast.”

“The WSFS Sportsplex will enable us to enhance the Union’s position as a top club in MLS, and our academy as one of, if not the best, soccer academy in the country,” Sugarman said.

The outdoor fields are expected to be complete by August 2023, with the indoor facility facilities set to be complete by June 2024. Construction is projected to cost more than $55 million.

Groundbreaking could start as soon as this winter.

The Philadelphia Union currently sit on top of the MLS Eastern Conference. The final game of the Union’s regular season takes place Oct. 9 against Toronto FC at 2:30 p.m. at Subaru Park.