Why Chester’s future hangs on a soccer team’s new development plans
Ten years after the first plan to revitalize Chester's waterfront, there's a new one in the works. Why there's more at stake for the struggling city this time.
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Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell makes remarks at The Wharf at Rivertown, in Chester, Pa., Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Chester has struggled for years as one of the nation’s poorest and most violent cities. In 2008, it appeared Chester would catch a break with plans for a $500 million development around the Philadelphia Union soccer stadium. But more than 10 years later, the waterfront is still nearly barren, and Chester is still broke. Now, the Philadelphia Union’s parent company is launching a new development plan. On this episode of The Why, Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Caitlin McCabe explains why the stakes are even higher for Chester this time.
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