Scoring a goal for Chester's renewal

By Dominic Pileggi

There is a lot of good happening in my hometown of Chester, the oldest city in Pennsylvania. But as Chester continues to recover from the dramatic loss of industrial and manufacturing jobs, and the loss of half its population - about 38,000 people - between 1950 and 2000, government must work with companies to plant the seeds of long-lasting revitalization in the city as it has with other older waterfront communities in Delaware County.

We have a remarkable opportunity to kick-start the next phase of Chester's economic recovery. Investing public dollars in the proposed waterfront development, including a soccer stadium, makes sense because this public-private partnership is the type of investment that can help our core communities retain and attract residents. It also is the kind of development that can be hard to get off the ground without some public funding.

Professional sports venues have traditionally been marketed as magnets that would draw supporting development. Some, such as the University of Phoenix Stadium in which the Super Bowl was played, have been successful. However, many stadiums have disappointed on that count.

In Chester, the situation is quite the opposite. Developers presented a plan that will address residential, commercial, educational and recreational needs of the community. The tremendous private investment needed to carry such extensive development is in place. In this more than $410 million development, there will be four private dollars invested for every public dollar, a very favorable ratio.

The company working on the complex, the Buccini/Pollin Group, has a track record of success with similar projects, such as the ongoing Christina River waterfront revival in Wilmington. That series of projects began with the Blue Rocks baseball stadium built in 1993. The company also bought and renovated Chester's Wharf at Rivertown, a former coal-fired power plant that is now a 396,000-square-foot office facility adjacent to the proposed waterfront development.

About 2,600 construction jobs would be created while the waterfront development is under way, and construction alone is expected to generate more than $450 million in one-time impacts for the state and local economies.

An estimated 800 permanent jobs would be created by the waterfront development, and the operations and ancillary activities of the Major League Soccer franchise and stadium would bring about $30.5 million to the region and $28.5 million to the state annually.

To evaluate the appropriate level of support for a project like this, state officials must weigh several factors including the number of jobs to be created, the ratio of private money to public funds, and the level of local commitment. The city and county have pledged $30 million to this project; the state will provide $47 million.

Although it is only one component of the overall project, the stadium will be a community asset, certainly in terms of location, but even more importantly in the many opportunities it could afford for youth soccer programs at all levels. It would also serve as a performance venue, hosting outdoor concerts and festivals, college and high school sporting events, and more. This further serves the purpose of bringing people to Chester, with tax and job benefits accruing to the community.

To take a largely empty and environmentally contaminated piece of property and to transform it into a vibrant neighborhood, waterfront asset, and gateway to the community is something many communities dream about, but few realize.

State, county, and city officials, economic development experts, labor leaders, and community activists have all looked carefully at this package, and have reached the same conclusion. This project is an extremely rare opportunity for community revitalization and economic progress, and thus shapes up as a tremendous win for the workers and families of the area.

I believe that Chester is heading in the right direction. Since 1996, nearly $1.4 billion in private and public investment has helped to create a tangible turnaround. It is an exciting time for this historic city.

The proposed waterfront development - funded by private companies with some focused government support - can keep that momentum going.