Construction at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center, located on the campus of Drexel University in Philadelphia, continues to progress towards its planned 2021 opening. Court installation is now approaching completion and interior spaces are taking shape.
The project places a modern squash and community facility within an historic and architecturally significant setting. The building was first constructed in 1916, and the main drill hall space of the Armory that will house the Specter Center has striking trusswork and large windows facing east towards 30th St Station and Center City Philadelphia, and west towards University City and West Philadelphia.
Installation of the two all-glass exhibition courts is nearly complete with floors laid and lighting testing underway. In the image above, the central grandstand is viewable behind the backwall of the court, with sections of the north and south singles courts on either side.
The final courts to be installed are the three of the Specter Center’s singles courts which are part of a pod that can convert into two softball doubles courts. These courts will allow Team USA athletes to prepare for international championships and for community members to try this unique version of the sport.
The Specter Center will house the world’s first two blue-walled North American doubles courts, designed to be played with a white ball.
In total, the Specter Center will feature eighteen singles courts and two hardball doubles courts. It will anchor the US Squash Community Affiliate Network and provide broad community access from its location in one of twenty-two federally-designated Promise Zone neighborhoods. The Specter Center will also house the U.S. Squash Hall of Fame, offer world-class high-performance training resources to Team USA athletes, host national and international events, serve as the US Squash national headquarters and operate a Learning & Innovation Center in partnership with SquashSmarts.
Learn more at www.spectercenter.org.
