PPL Park

Key Facts: Location: Philadelphia
Owner: Keystone Sports and Entertainment, Chester, Pa.
Contractor: T.N. Ward, Ardmore, Pa.
Architect: Rossetti Architects, Southfield. Mich.
Start Date: February 2009
Completion Date: Summer 2010

The Philadelphia Union Major League Soccer Team will play this summer in the new $120-million PPL Park in Chester, Pa., 13 mi south of Center City, Philadelphia, on the Delaware River.

T.N. Ward of Ardmore, Pa., began construction on the facility in 2009. It features 30 luxury suites; a 11,000-sq-ft, full-service club restaurant; 2,000-person supporters club section; built-in concert stage; and LED signage.

Sideline roofs protect soccer fans from the elements. The facility will seat 18,500 fans close to the natural grass field for soccer and 26,000 for concerts. The team expects the park will hold 40 to 50 events annually. The design, by Rossetti Architects of Southfield, Mich., includes expansive grass areas and promenades for tailgating and outdoor music events.

Philadelphia received a Major League Soccer team in 2008 after a supporters association petitioned the league to expand into the geographic market, which had a long-standing soccer history. Fans helped name the team the Philadelphia Union, which refers to the first capital of the Union of the 13 colonies of the United States.

The stadium will anchor a new $500-million, 60-acre waterfront revitalization project, which is expected to bring to the area office, retail and residential space and an exposition center.