PHILADELPHIA — West Campus Fields, a group led by soccer league and tournament management company Elite Development Program, has entered into a letter of intent with Rowan University to lease nearly 300 acres at the university for the development of a soccer and multi-sport athletic complex.

EDP is showing selected renderings of the project at the United Soccer Coaches convention here at Booth 153 in the Exhibit Hall Thursday through Saturday.

Rowan University, located in Glassboro, N.J., has been working closely with EDP on the project, which would include more than 50 athletic fields, artificial turf fields, baseball fields, a 4,500-seat arena, an indoor training center, tennis courts, outdoor track and field venues, a hotel and retail space.

“We are excited to be working with Rowan University and our development partners to build what we believe will be the best youth sports venue in the United States,” EDP chairman and president Steve Shilling said.

The facilities are expected to draw one and half million visitors a year, primarily for youth sports tournaments and training. The complex also will be home to Rowan University Athletics.

According to Rowan president Ali A. Houshmand, Rowan’s recent board’s vote on the letter of intent “demonstrates Rowan’s full commitment to the project.”

“We are confident that West Campus Fields will be able to secure what it needs to make this project a great success. We look forward to sharing the specifics as the project progresses,” Houshmand added.

Rowan University began purchasing farmland at the intersection of Routes 55 and 322 (Harrison and Mantua townships in Gloucester County) in 2002 for future development. It eventually assembled 600 acres, bisected evenly by Route 322, which are two miles from its main campus in Glassboro. In 2008, Rowan opened the South Jersey Technology Park on the north side of what is referred to as Rowan’s West Campus. The University sold about 100 acres south of Route 322 to Inspira Health Network in 2016 to build a regional hospital, which is under construction today.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.