Specter Center Court Installation Progresses; Doubles Courts Take Shape

A new bank of five singles courts viewed from the mezzanine level.

Construction of the Arlen Specter US Squash Center progresses with the installation of a new bank of five singles courts and the wooden walls of both hardball doubles courts over the course of recent weeks in Philadelphia.

The new bank of courts (above) will comprise five of the eighteen total singles courts at the Specter Center. A new block of three singles courts that can be converted into two international softball doubles courts will soon follow adjacent from the new bank of five courts. Glass back panels, netting, and court lining is now complete on all thirteen currently constructed constructed singles courts.

The wooden wall panels for both hardball doubles courts (below) are nearing completion. Both doubles courts will feature first-of-its-kind coloration with blue front and side walls and dark floor panels. The courts will employ a white hardball to optimize visibility for players, spectators and live streaming.

The foundation of the central stadium seating behind each all-glass show court (below) will be completed in the coming weeks.

The construction site is located in the Amory building directly across 33rd St from US Squash partner Drexel University’s Daskalakis Athletic Center – where the U.S. Open Squash Championships have been held since 2011.

The Specter Center will feature eighteen singles courts—including two all-glass exhibition courts—and two doubles courts, serve as US Squash’s national headquarters, house the U.S. Squash Hall of Fame and a Learning & Innovation Center, and offer athletes state-of-the-art high-performance development resources including a Coaching Excellence Center.

Once open, the Specter Center will be the flagship for US Squash’s Community Affiliate Program. Community Affiliates increase access by integrating junior, adult, scholastic, and squash and education initiatives in an innovative and sustainable way. The Specter Center will embrace this concept fully and places US Squash within the West Philadelphia Promise Zone, one of 22 neighborhoods nationwide that are part of the U.S. Department of Education Promise Neighborhood program that seeks to improve education, health, and economic successes for children, their families, and communities. The Specter Center will provide broad access to the sport to new players from all backgrounds throughout the region while modeling programs that can be replicated nationwide.

For more information visit spectercenter.org.

Wooden walls for both hardball doubles courts are nearing completion.
Stadium seating is under construction behind where both all-glass show courts will be located.
An elevated view from the building’s west end shows progress of the five new singles courts, stadium seating and doubles court wall.