Swarthmore College is redeveloping Cunningham Fields, a set of playing fields off College Avenue and North Chester Road, as it updates its aging athletic infrastructure.
Cunningham Fields currently has four grass fields used for lacrosse, field hockey, soccer, rugby, and ultimate Frisbee practice.
The fields would be redesigned to include three new grass and turf fields, six new tennis courts to complement six existing renovated courts, spectator seating, and a pavilion with restrooms, team meeting areas, and a training room with storage, writes Denali Sagner for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
One all-purpose turf field without lighting, a sound system, or permanent seating would be installed for soccer, lacrosse, rugby, ultimate Frisbee, kickball, and flag football.
A second proposed turf field would be used for field hockey. It would include spectator seating for up to 160 people, a press box, a scoreboard, a sound system, and lighting.
A new grass field without lighting or sound would be used for soccer, rugby, and other recreational activities.
The renovations are part of a larger plan to update Swarthmore’s athletic facilities. The Lamb-Miller Field House, for example, is “at the end of its usable life” and no longer meets NCAA requirements.
Read about how the renovation plans were altered to address community concerns in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
