Eagles to receive $4 million in state funding to assist with Jefferson Health Training Complex expansion
The facility, which was the NovaCare Complex until February, is undergoing renovations to its cafeteria, locker rooms, and entrances. The money comes from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program.
The Eagles are being awarded a $4 million grant from the state of Pennsylvania to help fund renovations to their training facility, the Jefferson Health Training Complex, according to documents published by the office of the budget.
The Philadelphia Business Journal was first to report on the grant award.
The Eagles had submitted an application for the grant through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, which supports regional economic, recreational, cultural, civic, and historical improvement projects, during the 2025 funding round.
The team had applied for a $7.725 million RACP grant. The program requires at least 50% of the total project costs to be paid by at least one non-state funding source. The Eagles listed their total private match at roughly $7.753 million, bringing their budget total for the project to approximately $15.478 million.
The Eagles declined to comment on the awarding of the grant.
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The Eagles listed their planned renovations in the application, which included the expansion of the locker room and the training room, the construction of a cafeteria addition to include a rooftop area, the expansion and renovation of the seating area in the existing cafeteria, the renovation of the kitchen, the expansion and renovation of the staff locker rooms and coaches locker rooms, and the expansion and development of the main lobby and coaches’ entrance.
The grant, the Eagles wrote, would be used to “offset hard construction costs associated with the renovations to the amenities” they listed in the application, resulting in a “more efficient workplace and training facility.”
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The Eagles also were required to explain how the project to upgrade the Jefferson Health Training Complex, which was called the NovaCare Complex until mid-February when the team announced new sponsorship agreements, will provide a benefit or improvement to the community in the application.
“NovaCare has served as the Eagles’ training facility and corporate headquarters since 2001,” the team wrote. “The Eagles have made 3 Super Bowl appearances and earned 2 Super Bowl victories in the past 8 years. This would not be possible without its commitment to investing in its facilities to attract top talent. This success has fueled civic pride and provided increased visibility to the city. As the nature of professional sports has changed, so have teams’ needs relating to physical space.
“When NovaCare opened, we had 138 full-time employees. Today we have 276. In 2017, the Eagles Autism Foundation was created, and has grown from a staff of 1 to 10 and raised $40MM+. From 2003-12, total PA State Income Tax withheld was $29.5MM (average of $2.9MM/year). From 2013-22, total withheld was $61.7MM (average of $6.17MM/year). We project that for 2023-32, total withheld would be $113.9MM (average $11.39MM/year). This project will ensure the facility can meet the needs of our team as it continues to grow.”
The Eagles also explained the factors that they relied on to arrive at their requested grant amount.
“The construction of the NovaCare Complex included public financing, and the Complex sits on public land,” the Eagles wrote. “It is an excellent example of a successful public/private partnership that has generated an economic return for the Commonwealth and the City. Financial assistance from the Commonwealth will enable the Eagles to maximize the scope of the project, minimize the construction timeline, and increase the prospect of maintaining the practice facility at the site.”
As The Inquirer reported in February, the team has been upgrading its practice facility after acquiring the former Rothman Orthopaedics space. The team had a meeting last offseason with their player leadership council to address the topics raised in the 2025 NFLPA survey, which rated the locker room a D+, as a means of identifying prospective improvements.
This year, according to an ESPN report, the Eagles locker room was rated a D. Still, the team received an A- for their weight room and a B- for their training room.
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The Jefferson Health Training Complex may not be the only Eagles facility subject to upgrades — or, potentially, more significant changes. At the league meeting in March, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said the team is conducting “exploratory research” on the prospect of a new or renovated stadium ahead of the expiration of Lincoln Financial Field’s lease in 2032.
One of the variables that the Eagles must consider is the location of a potential new stadium, either in the South Philadelphia sports complex or beyond. Lurie wouldn’t rule out any potential location if the stadium was built anew, noting that he would do “whatever’s best for the fans.”
A week later, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said on The Inquirer’s unCovering the Birds podcast, “We’re not going to lose the Birds. They’re going to stay in Philly, and we’re going to make sure of that.”
Jeffrey Lurie has owned the Philadelphia Eagles, which he purchased in 1994, longer than his son, Julian, has been alive. But in recent years, the younger Lurie, heir to the franchise and now 31, has assumed a more pervasive and influential role in the organization. While the Eagles have made no secret about Julian’s increased involvement with the team, specifics about his role have been scant. In recent months, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane spoke to nearly two dozen sources on and off the record to gain a better understanding of not just who Julian Lurie is and what he does, but — most important of all — whether he’ll be ready to assume the reins as Eagles chairman and CEO, whenever the time comes. Jeff shares the biggest takeaways from his reporting with Inquirer columnist Mike Sielski in this companion episode to Jeff’s feature article about the Eagles' succession plan. Listen here.
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