$55M Sports Complex Coming To Chester Waterfront

CHESTER, PA — A new, massive sports complex is coming to the Chester Waterfont by June 2024.

The Philadelphia Union recently announced plans for the WSFS Bank Sportsplex.

The multi-sport, 32-acre sports and recreation complex will sit between Subaru Park and the Union Power Plant office building.

The complex will include a 100,000-square-foot indoor facility that will be available for community use and an adjacent 70,000-square-foot support building that will house Philadelphia Union II as well as the Philadelphia Union Academy.

YSC Academy and the Philadelphia Union Academy will move to the Chester campus in 2023. YSC Academy will be housed in a school inside the Union Power Plant.

Indoor facilities include a 125-by-75-yard turf field, two courts capable of hosting four cross-width courts, a 20,000-square-foot performance center with weight room and sprint track, locker rooms, and a café for athletes and guests.

The indoor facility will be complemented by seven outdoor multi-sport fields including one championship grass field with spectator seating, two additional full-size grass fields, one youth-size grass field, and three full-size turf fields.

In total, the complex is 170,000 square feet and will be open year-round.

Construction will cost about $55 million and is estimated to create $90 million in economic impact over the first decade.

An estimated 500,000 annual visits to the Chester Waterfront are expected once the facility is up and running.

In addition to the positive economic impact, the facility 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.

"This best-in-class facility will provide a singular home for our professional and academy teams while creating a premier destination for local youth groups to fall in love with sports," Philadelphia Union Principal Owner Jay Sugarman said. "Alongside Subaru Park, WSFS Bank Sportsplex will become another centerpiece of our club and community strategy and I could not be more proud to see this project come to fruition."

Groundbreaking is set for winter 2022/2023, with the outdoor fields in place by August 2023 and the indoor facilities to open June 2024.

"This project shows the continued commitment and partnership that the city shares with the Philadelphia Union," said Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland, City of Chester. "It will create better jobs, more recreational opportunities, and a bridge that connects our community to our beautiful waterfront."

Learn more about the complex online here.