According to Wyatt our Governor thinks people in Chester share the European love of Soccer, and thinks they are deserving of considerable “Capital-Redevelopment Assistance Program” (read tax dollars) to build a stadium. I grew up 3 miles outside of Chester, and I’m pretty sure that no one in Delaware County likes soccer enough to make a trip to Chester.
Let me just give you an idea of how bad Chester is. When I was growing up, it was well known not to enter the city at night, or really during the day either. Carjackings were not unheard of, and a few folks were dragged out of their cars and beaten for being at the wrong stoplight at the wrong time.
Thanks to PennDOT’s I-95 construction fiasco, I have been forced to drive through Chester on my way back from seeing Bitter on a few occasions. Normally I just lock the Glock in the case for the whole ride, thanks to the Great State of Maryland, which is most of the transit miles between here in DC. But when I have to drive through Chester, I make sure to stop at Delaware’s “Lock & Load” (also known as Service) Plaza and crack Mr. Glock out of his case, load it up, and get ready to do the Route 13 bypass at 1:00 in the morning.
Chester actually seems to look a little better these days than I remember it, but it’ll take a lot more than a soccer stadium to turn that city around. I’d say our governor is smoking crack on this, but it looks to me like a way to pay off his political supporters, rather than something he really expects will make a difference.  A pity we’ll all have to pay for it.
And Ed’s forte has never been consideration for the taxpayers.
PennDOT does construction? Thought their purpose was to make driving hell… but only during politically acceptable times.
And give Ed some credit, he’s the gov so he gets the good stuff… pity that he has a death grip on the pipe and doesn’t want to share.
Sigh. Think I’m going to go watch ‘Six String Samurai’ to restore my belief that at least there is some good in the world (been that type of week).
Thanks for letting me know to avoid I-95 the next time I make that drive (next weekend).
Not being, you know, armed and stuff.
Last time I had Bitter take the Jersey side up, and cross back over on the Walt Whitman bridge. She is usually coming up in the same situation you are, and she doesn’t have the Florida license to carry in Delaware. It’s the best option if you know to take it ahead of time.
Even if there’s enough of a fan base to warrant a soccer stadium, the fans will do what they currently do in Philadelphia: drive in, park, go to the game, and get the fuck out before anything bad happens. Ditto with Harrah’s Chester casino. There is no credible study which shows building a stadium does anything to re-invitalize a blighted area. There are plenty of credible studies which show otherwise.
Well, given that detouring through PA is actually a detour for me (worth it to avoid the Delaware memorial tolls, even after the extra mileage); it’s not a big deal. My usual route was get to I-295 NJ in any of the many and various ways available from points north (US-1, US-130, NJTPK if I’m feeling rich, etc), and then take that to the Delaware memorial. I still haven’t figured out why people take the NJTPK south of exit 7A, given that I-295 is a wider road, in better repair, and free.
But the Delaware bridge tolls are cheaper than being the victim of either GBH or GTA any day of the week.
Re blighted areas with tourist attractions – also see the Camden tourist waterfront (I’ve been to the Aquarium several times, and the BB-62 once), Atlantic City a block away from the casinos, and DC off the Mall…
(speaking of DC – my manager at the last job had to go down to DC for a project at the World Bank on 18th st NW… Silly bugger didn’t get good directions, and ended up on 18th SE – luckily for him the first one to find him was a cop who chased him into the correct part of town. I was always happy that when I was “carpooling” with my mother to the naval yard I could park inside the permiter to wait to pick her up).
MLS Franchise for Chester
I think it would be a Great thing for our state to be represented in the MLS.
On top of this is the talk of a Womens Professional League starting in ’09 or 2010 and using the same facility.
The NFL and MLB are in no danger of going out of business(Yet) because of Soccer, but is a growing “Cult Following”.
a soccer stadium in Chester? jesus, that’s like putting an NHL arena in Newark….
wait……