Specter Center Receives Prestigious Engineering News-Record Award

The Arlen Specter US Squash Center has been recognized by the Engineering News-Record (ENR) Mid-Atlantic as the 2022 winner in Best Project for Sports/Entertainment. The award was officially announced by ENR on October 17.

ENR (Engineering News-Record) is considered the “bible” for providing engineering and construction news, analysis, commentary and data to construction industry professionals. ENR reports on the top design firms, both architects and engineers, and the top construction companies featuring projects in the United States and around the world. ENR connects diverse sectors of the construction industry including contractors, project owners, engineers, architects, government regulators and industry suppliers whom work in the US and globally.

The award recognized the efforts of US Squash in collaboration with Gilbane Building Co., lead architect Van Potteiger and Drexel University. Last year, US Squash presented the W. Stewart Brauns, Jr. Award to Gilbane Building Co. Executive Vice President Dan Keating for his role in the project.

“In my forty-five plus year career in construction and development, I can tell you that every owner, builder, architect and professional involved holds the Engineering News-Record as the singular superb piece of writing and the book of record on the building business,” Keating said. “The fact that this project has been identified as one of the top projects in the country is an extraordinary feat. It’s been a collaborative team effort with Gilbane, Van Potteiger, and all the engineers and financers involved in the process. And of course, without Drexel University and its president John Fry there would have been no building opportunity. I firmly believe every project needs a great leader, and Ned Edwards was exactly that. I had the pleasure of working with the entire US Squash team during the project, and Ned was the guiding light who breathed passion into this project and paid attention to each detail that has realized the Specter Center as the great space it is today. Noel Eisenstat brought his remarkable expertise as our consultant through the hugely important and complex Historic and New Market Tax Credit component of the project. Gabe Canuso, of D3 Developers, was outstanding as project manager and invaluable for the project team and the myriad relationships with our contractors and suppliers. I am honored that I got to work with the inspiring men and women involved in this special building program.”

The Award comes a year after the Specter Center officially opened on October 3, 2021.

“We are thrilled and grateful that our fabulous array of project partners helped the Specter Center earn ENR‘s Best Project for Sports/Entertainment in the MidAtlantic region,” said Ned Edwards, Executive Director of the Arlen Specter US Squash Center. “The framework for the project and the confidence we all had in its outcome was thanks to Dan Keating’s superb leadership and oversight. Dan is a legend in Philadelphia’s construction industry—and a lifelong squash player. US Squash could not have been more fortunate than to have Dan lead the way on this tremendous, yet highly complex Specter Center project.”