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Chester City General Soccer Stadium Helping Chester
| Soccer Stadium Helping Chester |
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| Written by Administrator |
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Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell once said, “I believe this guarantees that Chester will be one of the first-class cities in Pennsylvania” (Ober, 2008). The quote by Governor Rendell is a very strong statement because he believes the project of bringing a soccer stadium to Chester will get Chester back on the map. Many argue that Chester is not the place to bring a soccer stadium, but there is much hope in the community. In many ways, Chester is proving to those who have doubts that the city is definitely one of the best spots to place a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise. According to Jay Sugarman, CEO of iStar Financial of New York, “We’re going to build a first-class organization on and off the field, and we will create a development that makes the community proud” (Philadelphia Business Journal, 2008). The goal of the city of Chester is to continue re-development. The soccer stadium is part of a re-development project that includes 60 acres, that costs about 500 million dollars and is expected to include retail, residential, and business sites. With this being said, it will bring companies into the city, reducing the unemployment rate and reducing some of the economic problems the city of Chester faces today. To get a better understanding of how this stadium will help Chester, considering the number of visitors during different events at the venue. Each visitor is a potential customer that come help other small businesses. The whole idea of the stadium is to build a first class organization that will make the community proud. Phil Heron, an editor for The Delaware County Daily Times (2008), begins an article by saying, “If you build it, will they come?” (P.1).With the amount of money that the franchise and the county are putting into this project, one hopes that they will come. Mayor Wendell N. Butler Jr. said, “We did not go out looking for soccer. Soccer came to us” (Carey, 2009). It could have not come at a better time for Chester with the current re-development project. The re-development around the area of Widener University, which is known as University Crossings, was a $25 million project that brought the first hotel in 35 years into the city. It also brought well-known retailers into the area. With these re-development projects, there has been an increase in employment rates. According to The Delaware County Daily Times, “The development is expected to create more than 2,600 construction jobs, 360 permanent jobs….” (“City of Chester”, 2008). Chester Mayor Wendell N. Butler Jr. asks, “When was the last time Chester joined the ranks of Radnor and Newtown? Things are getting better in the city and our hard work is paying off” (Carey, 2009). Chester City is trying to do everything to be considered a wealthy city, and with the re-development project, it is a strong possibility that Chester can join the ranks of other wealthy cities and towns. According to Widener Director of Sports Management Program, Dr. Brian V. Larson, “Research on sports and public policy has focused on using sports (teams, events, and venues) to reinvigorate areas” (Larson, 2008). This is very true when it comes to Chester because they are trying hard to work in the community to bring life to the city. In addition, the mayor of Chester states that, “The city of Chester is a regional, economic hot spot” (Carey,2009). Because the community is improving its image, it is making the city a great place for owners to bring their businesses or for a company trying to get a start in the business world. When the re-development project is completed, it is to expected to have a huge impact on the community by bringing everyone together. Mayor Butler states, “Together these activities will generate new construction and permanent job opportunities for city residents, new opportunities for city businesses and new recreational opportunities for city youth” (Smallwood, 2007). In many ways, this will help the community because it creates jobs, can help keep kids in the community out of trouble and possibly create seasonal jobs when kids are out of school. However, former Mayor, now State Senate Major Leader Dominic Pileggi agrees that “what’s ‘attractive’ about the project is that it is not just a soccer stadium, but ‘a comprehensive waterfront development’” (Smallwood, 2007). All in all, it is safe to say that this re-development seems to be on track for success. The whole idea of bringing a stadium to Chester is not because of the strong fan commitment but because of the commitment or hope that Chester has for the city. The city is committed to bringing the community back to life by bringing in businesses to help with the economic problems and trying to create jobs for the locals. In addition to the commitment that the city has, the city is hoping that the re-development project can put Chester back on the map and keep it there for a long time.
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