The success of The Philadelphia Union means It needs to add thousands of seats to Subaru Park in Chester, writes John George for Philadelphia Business Journal.

The 14-year-old stadium is in need of an upgrade, said Union Executive Vice President and COO Dave Debusschere.

“Subaru Park is too small,” Debusschere said. “Quite frankly, it’s one of the smallest buildings in MLS.”

The Union has sold out 37 straight games and needs more seats, he said.

The stadium currently has 18,500 seats. The Union would like a minimum of 22,000 seats.

The best place to add seats would be on the stadium’s river end, filling in a gap that now allows fans to see the Delaware River and Commodore Barry Bridge.

“People love the view of the river and that is a wonderful view, but it doesn’t pay the bills,” Debusschere said.

Expanding the stadium is still in the exploratory stage and no final decisions have been made.

Philadelphia architectural and design firm Gensler has been hired to identify new seating opportunities, and the team will be adding more premium seating and modular suites next year.

Read more about proposed changes to Subaru Park in Chester in the Philadelphia Business Journal.