 | |
 View of Subaru Park from theSons of Ben supporters section in August 2022 | |
| Former names | PPL Park (2010–2015) Talen Energy Stadium (2016–2019) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1 Stadium Drive |
| Location | Chester, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 39°49′56″N75°22′44″W / 39.83222°N 75.37889°W /39.83222; -75.37889 |
| Public transit |   SEPTA bus:113 (at stadium)Chester Transit Center:SEPTA bus:37,109,114,117,118,119 |
| Owner | Buccini/Pollin Group |
| Operator | BPG Sports[1] |
| Capacity | 18,500 (Soccer) 26,000 (Concerts)[2] |
| Field size | 120 yd × 75 yd (110 m × 69 m) |
| Surface | Perennial Ryegrass and Kentucky Bluegrass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | December 1, 2008 |
| Opened | June 27, 2010[7] |
| Construction cost | $120 million[3] ($173 million in 2024 dollars[4]) |
| Architect | Rossetti Architects |
| Project manager | ICON Venue Group |
| Structural engineer | Pennoni Associates Inc.[5] |
| General contractor | T.N. Ward Company[6] |
| Tenants | |
| Philadelphia Union (MLS) (2010–present) Army–Navy Cup (NCAA) (2012–present) Philadelphia Union II (MLSNP) (2019–2020, 2022–present) Collegiate Rugby Championship (2011–2019) Premier Lacrosse League (2019–2023) | |
Subaru Park is asoccer-specific stadium inChester, Pennsylvania, located next toCommodore Barry Bridge on the waterfront along theDelaware River. The venue is home to thePhiladelphia Union ofMajor League Soccer.[8]
Subaru Park was designed as an initial step for economic development on the waterfront, with additional plans calling for a river walk and other entertainment, retail, and residential projects. The stadium was constructed by T.N. Ward Company, based inArdmore.[9] The project was the result of combined commitments of $30 million fromDelaware County and $47 million from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.Subaru of America is the stadium's naming rights sponsor.
Major League Soccer (MLS) had been interested in entering the Philadelphia market for several years, with many promises of a team by CommissionerDon Garber, as evidenced by his statement, "It's not a matter of if but when Philadelphia gets a team."[10] Initially, Major League Soccer was interested in a site in the borough ofBristol, about 23 miles (37 km) north ofCenter City Philadelphia.[11] The plans never came to fruition, however.Rowan University later provided plans for a soccer stadium near itsGlassboro, New Jersey campus, but funding from the state ofNew Jersey fell through in 2006.
In late 2006, a group of investors led by longtime MLS executive Nick Sakiewicz initiated the planning for a soccer-specific stadium in Chester after the funding for the Rowan project failed to pass the New Jersey legislature. After many months of negotiations, Delaware County politicians announced their approval of funding for the stadium in October 2007.[12]Delaware County owns the land and the stadium itself, while the team owns the naming rights based on their approval of a 30-year lease. The newly formed Delaware County Sports Authority pays the county's share of $30 million through taxes from theHarrah's Chester harness racing track and casino. An additional $80 million was contributed by private investors.
On January 31, 2008, Pennsylvania's state government unveiled a combined soccer stadium and economic revitalization package for Chester.[13] $25 million was allocated to the construction of the stadium, with an additional $7 million towards a two-phase project composed of 186 townhouses, 25 apartments, 335,000 square feet (31,100 m2) of office space, a 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m2) convention center, more than 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of retail space, and a parking structure to house 1,350 cars. In phase two, another 200 apartments will be built, along with 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) of office space and 22,000 square feet (2,000 m2) of retail space.[14]
TheEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) worked with the city to ensure that construction activities did not impact the nearby parking facility, which had been the site of theWade Dump, a previously pollutedSuperfund site.[15]
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Construction delays led to the Philadelphia Union's decision to play their inaugural home game atLincoln Financial Field instead of Subaru Park.[16] Their first match at the stadium was played on June 27, 2010, when they defeatedSeattle Sounders FC 3–1.Sébastien Le Toux scored the Union's first goal at the stadium on a crossed header. However,Pat Noonan of Sounders FC scored the first goal in the venue's history.
The stadium's record attendance was achieved on December 5, 2021, for the2021 Eastern Conference Final when the Union were defeated byNew York City FC 2–1 in front of 19,487 fans.[17]
Due to consistently high attendance and ticket sales, in 2011 the Philadelphia Union expressed interest in expanding the capacity of the stadium. The planned expansion would occur in three phases, initially to 20,000, then to 27,000, and finally to approximately 30,000.[18] In 2024, the club commissionedGensler to study an expansion of the stadium, which would be able to accommodate 27,000 seats on its current footprint.[19]
The first college football game played at Subaru Park was theBattle of the Blue on November 19, 2011, in whichDelaware beatVillanova to earn the trophy for the first time.[20] These same two teams met again on November 23, 2013, withVillanova beatingDelaware 35–34.
Subaru Park hosted theCollegiate Rugby Championship every June between 2011 and 2019.[21][22] The Collegiate Rugby Championship is the highest profilecollege rugby competition in the United States, and is broadcast live onNBC annually. In 2011, over 17,800 fans attended the tournament.[23]
It was announced on May 17, 2017, that English sideNewcastle Falcons would play their homePremiership Rugby game againstSaracens at the stadium on September 16, 2017. This was the second English premiership game hosted in the US and Saracens' second visit afterLondon Irish hosted them at theRed Bull Arena inHarrison, New Jersey onMarch 12, 2016.[24]
| List of Premiership Rugby – The American Series games | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Date | Television | Home team | Result | Away Team | Tournament | Attendance | Ref. |
| 2017–18 | September 16, 2017 | NBC |  Newcastle Falcons | 7–29 | Saracens | Premiership Rugby | 6,271 | [25] |
The stadium hosted two quarterfinal matches in the2012 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship.[26] In 2013, the stadium hosted theMajor League Lacrosse's Championship known as theSteinfeld Cup. In this game, theChesapeake Bayhawks defeated theCharlotte Hounds 10–9 in front of 3,892 fans. On April 24 & 26, 2015, the2015 ACC Lacrosse Championship was hosted at the facility.[27] In 2015, the stadium hosted the NCAA Division I and Division III Women's Lacrosse Championship. Maryland beat North Carolina in the DI game while SUNY Cortland beat Trinity College of Hartford in the DIII game. In 2016, the stadium again hosted the NCAA Division I and Division III Women's Lacrosse Championship, May 28 and May 29, 2016.
At the high school level, notable events included the boys' 2015Inter-Academic League Championship game, betweenThe Haverford School, fromPennsylvania, andThe Hun School ofNew Jersey. The Haverford School won the game, as well as the Inter-Ac title, capping off a perfect 23–0 season.
From 2019 to 2023, thePremier Lacrosse League hosted several matches at Subaru Park.
Subaru Park hosted its firstrugby union international on November 9, 2013, when theMaori All Blacks squared off against theUnited States. A sold-out crowd of 18,500 witnessed a hard-fought match in which the visiting Maori All Blacks won 29–19.[28]
Major League Ultimate had hosted two of its annual championship games at Subaru Park. The first was on July 19, 2014, when the DC Current defeated the Vancouver Nighthawks 23–17. The stadium again hosted the championship on August 8, 2015, in which the Boston Whitecaps defeated the Seattle Rainmakers 31–17.
TheUnited States Military Academy atWest Point, New York, and theUnited States Naval Academy inAnnapolis, Maryland, have played their annual men's soccer rivalry, called theArmy–Navy Cup at Subaru Park. The 2012 meeting marked just the third time in the 75-year history of the soccer rivalry that the schools met at a neutral location and was the first regular-season neutral site meeting, with the previous two occurring in the NCAA tournament. Philadelphia is the traditional home of the classic football rivalry and is halfway between the two schools.[29] 3,672 turned out for the first Philadelphia matchup.[30]
AfterHurricane Sandy, the2012 Big East Men's Soccer Tournament was moved to Subaru Park fromRed Bull Arena.[31] Subaru Park served as host again in 2013 for therestructured conference's tournament.[32] The stadium also hosted an international friendly betweenGreece andNigeria in 2014. The match was a scoreless draw.
The2013 College Cup was held at Subaru Park and the tournament returned to the venue in2017. The first set of matches of the2017 SheBelieves Cup was played at the stadium, in whichFrance beatEngland and theUnited States beatGermany.
Given its ability to be used as a football field, Subaru Park has recently been used as an annual site for theDrum Corps International Summer Competition Tour.[33]
When the initial architectural drawings were revealed, the stadium was to have been an oval-shaped stadium with a cantilevered roof covering all seating areas – not unlike most European football grounds. After consulting with the nascent club's supporters, the Union's ownership group, Keystone Sports & Entertainment, re-designed a specific entrance for theSons of Ben supporters group in recognition of their loyalty.[34] This entrance leads into a 2,000-seat section at the southeast end of the stadium reserved specifically for the group known as The River End.[35] Cantilevered roofs run above the Main and Bridge Stands and were designed to protect fans from the elements without obstructing the view of the Commodore Barry Bridge and the Delaware River from their seats.[36] The exterior façade is made up of brick and natural stone, a continuity of traditional Philadelphia architecture. Additional features include thirty luxury suites, a full-service restaurant and club above the Chester End, and a built-in concert stage in The River End (which has yet to be used).[2]
In February 2020, as part ofSubaru of America becoming the naming rights holder for the stadium, the Union replaced the previous video board above the Chester End with a new 3,440 sq ft (320 m2)high dynamic range (HDR) video board that was the first of its kind in an MLS soccer-specific stadium. TheLED ribbon boards around the field and seating bowl were also upgraded. A new VIP premium area called the "Tunnel Club" opened for the 2020 season as well.[37] The area outside the stadium known as "Subaru Plaza" was expanded to facilitate pregame festivities and a new community garden to grow fruits and vegetables for the local community.[38]
On February 25, 2010, the Philadelphia Union announced that theAllentown-basedPPL Corporation purchased the naming rights to its home venue for $20 million over 11 years. As part of the deal, PPL EnergyPlus provides the stadium withsustainable energy derived from other sources in Pennsylvania.[39]
ThePanasonic Corporation provides broadcast and television production systems, large-screen LED displays, security systems, and point-of-sale systems.[40]
On November 30, 2015,Talen Energy assumed naming rights and energy supply of the stadium. Talen Energy spun off as an electricity producer from PPL which in turn concentrated on transmission and distribution aspects.[41]
On February 18, 2020,Subaru of America, whose headquarters are in Philadelphia's neighboring cityCamden, New Jersey, was announced as the new naming rights holder for the stadium.[42][43]
In September 2010, Mid-Atlantic Construction Magazine named the stadium the "Sports/Recreation Project of the Year." The company grants the award to premier construction projects in theMid-Atlantic region.[44] In February 2011, the Delaware County Planning Commission awarded the stadium the 2010 William H. Bates Memorial Award.[45] Since 1980, the honor is presented annually to real-estate developers that improved a Delaware County property.
Subaru Park features many of the foods commonly sold at American sports venues, and also offers traditional Philadelphia food items suchcheesesteaks,hoagies, andsoft pretzels (shaped like the Union's primary logo). Several foods are provided by local companies such asTurkey Hill,[46]Herr's Snacks[47] and Seasons Pizza,[48] while beers from local breweries such asVictory andDogfish Head are also available.[49]
Like theSouth Philadelphia Sports Complex, the stadium is located nearInterstate 95. It is approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) from theChester Transit CenterSEPTA station, where shuttle service is provided from four hours prior to kickoff and from full-time until the park is empty.Philadelphia International Airport is 5 miles (8.0 km) away.[2] Proposals to improve transit service toHighland Avenue station on the SEPTAWilmington Line or build a new station closer to the stadium are under consideration as part of the stadium's expansion plan.[19]
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| Preceded by | Host of theCollege Cup 2013 2017 | Succeeded by |