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Soccer announcement date is set for Feb. 28
Plans for an expansion team and stadium will be unveiled in Chester next week, sources say.


Major League Soccer has tentatively set Feb. 28 as the date to announce that a new expansion team would be awarded to the Philadelphia region, sources said.

A news conference is expected to be held in the city of Chester, where the team would play in an 18,500-seat stadium to be built beside the Delaware River.

The Inquirer reported last week that an agreement was imminent to make the Philadelphia area home to the professional soccer league's 16th team. Now, one person acquainted with the thinking of MLS Commissioner Don Garber, and another familiar with the local group's bid, said the official announcement would come a week from today.

The sources spoke on the condition they not be named, citing the sensitivity of the timing.

MLS spokesmen declined to comment yesterday.

Philadelphia is the largest market in which MLS does not operate a team.

Some details remain to be worked out between MLS and the local owner-investment group, which includes iStar Financial CEO Robert Sugarman and Swarthmore Group chairman James Nevels, well-known for having served as chairman of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission.

The $115 million stadium would stand near the Commodore Barry Bridge in one of Pennsylvania's poorest cities. It would anchor a $500 million complex of stores, restaurants and housing.

The Philadelphia bid has traveled a gauntlet of competition, eventually emerging, with St. Louis, as one of two finalists. The St. Louis group had brokered a deal back in September to build a stadium, but struggled to attract investors.

The Philadelphia bid had strong ownership, but lacked a stadium deal until last month, when Gov. Rendell announced that the state would provide a key $47 million in funding.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/15832502.html

That could have been Wilmington's riverfronts big chance. but it looks great

Here is an article on how the soccer stadium, and soccer in general, could impact the city of Chester.

How will Chester play to MLS fans?


The Philadelphia region has a new pro soccer club - but will it have enough paying fans to support the team?

The owners are confident, but success is no sure thing. In its 12 seasons, Major League Soccer has folded ailing teams in Miami and Tampa Bay and moved the original San Jose franchise to Houston.

Sure, the new team will draw the fanatics, like the region's Sons of Ben. The SOBs would turn out to watch a soccer game at midnight - in a parking lot, while it's snowing, on Christmas Eve.

The question is whether the team can establish a solid following among the general fan base - people with some interest in the sport who live within reasonable traveling distance and can afford tickets averaging $20 a seat.

The team faces one big, obvious challenge: Chester, site of the planned 20,000-seat stadium. People who know nothing else about Chester know it's somewhere they shouldn't go at night. Crime there rose 3.5 percent last year, with significant increases in serious offenses such as murder and aggravated assault.

"My mental impression is it's like Camden but without the glitter," said Gray Safford, 54, a Process Engineering manager who lives in Abington. He's taking "a wait-and-see attitude: What do I hear from other people who have gone [to games]? Because I don't want to be the first one to go down there with my kids."

And that's from somebody who loves soccer, who played while growing up in Northeast Philadelphia and as "a bad, second-string goal-tender" at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and whose children played.

The $115 million stadium is to stand just south of the Commodore Barry Bridge, not far from the new Harrah's casino, and anchor a $500 million housing-and-retail development. Team officials expect the site to become an entertainment destination, with fans spending money at stores, bars and restaurants.

It may seem odd for a Philadelphia team to play in Chester. But MLS teams often play outside host cities, where land for stadiums is cheaper. And placing the complex in one of Pennsylvania's poorest cities allowed politicians to portray the government financing as a jobs-and-business project, not a tax-money giveaway.

Mayor Wendell N. Butler Jr. said Chester's unhappy reputation would not stop fans from flocking to games.

"They'll come," he said yesterday. "They come to Harrah's."

Team officials said Chester was a perfect location, at the heart of the regional soccer universe and easily reachable from South Jersey, Philadelphia, the western suburbs and northern Delaware.

The size of the fan base is unknown, but plainly in the millions. Pennsylvania and New Jersey rank among the top nine states in soccer participation. The Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association numbers 200,000 players, coaches and referees - and that's just one group. "This is going to be a fantastic market," said Richard Groff, 62, a former president of the association and a longtime soccer promoter and supporter.

He cited the turnout at games he helped stage here - 43,356 to watch the U.S. team play Dnepr of Ukraine in 1989 at Franklin Field, and 44,261 to see the United States play Sheffield Wednesday, an English club, in 1991 at Veterans Stadium. The first ticketed event at Lincoln Financial Field was a 2003 soccer sellout that pitted Manchester United against FC Barcelona.

But Groff agreed that drawing big crowds to one-time matches featuring famous clubs was different from securing fans for an unknown team through 15 home games. He would define success as:

~The sale of 7,000 to 8,000 season tickets.
~Average attendance near the 76ers', about 13,000.
~Numerous sellouts.

"I haven't a problem going to Chester," said Anne Ewing, 70, who had season tickets to the old Philadelphia Charge women's team. "I have a problem with I-95, and driving, and coming out of a game with huge traffic jams. I want to be able to find some way to comfortably get there by public transportation."

For people who live in Philadelphia, like Ewing, that might not be hard. The stadium site is an eight-block walk from the Chester SEPTA rail station at Highland Avenue, and the team plans to run shuttle buses on game days.

Joshua Vincent has a suspicion of what will occur in Chester, because he saw it happen in Camden when he lived near Campbell's Field, home of minor-league baseball's Riversharks: Suburbanites drove through Camden and directly into the stadium parking lot. When the game ended, they got in their cars and drove directly out. A few small businesses sprouted near the baseball park, but they struggled. "Very few people felt safe enough to walk two blocks," said Vincent, director of the Henry George Foundation in Philadelphia. "I can't see how that would be different in Chester."

Vincent is a baseball fan but said he might go to a soccer game or two. Safford, the Abington dad, said he would definitely attend games - as long as he knew security would be sufficient and his car would be safe.

"If there's a team," he said before the announcement, "I'll give them a chance."

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/soccer/20080229_How_will_Chester_play_to_MLS_fans_.html

There is a tower that goes along with the stadium, right?

Anyone know if this is still going on or under construction?? Dont live in the area and was just curious. I have been through Chester numerous times going to/from Philly. I am glad that they are doing something down there but do I detect some skepticism in the tone of this article at least on the part of would be fans? The SEPTA station is eight blocks from the stadium...you wonder if people would just drive to the stadium..watch the games then head to Philly to dine/entertainment? With the station being eight blocks from the stadium... ..I can picture some soccer fans not wanting to make the trek.. because they would envision themselves staring in there own version of the movie with Bruce Willis and Mos Def.. "16 Blocks" trying to get to and from the stadium. I dont know what the neighborhood looks like down there today but I hope that any effort is part of a Master Plan that takes a comprehensive look at the City particuliarly within the blocks surrounding this facility....so that this is not just part of a well intentioned band aid.

Pictures of the MLS stadium, Union Field at Chester, from earlier in the month:


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http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/4505/img5603cheu.jpg

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/5690/img5609che.jpg


Pictures of the new offramp being built to offer access to the stadium. Currently, if you get on U.S. 322 towards New Jersey from I-95, you can't exit until you go into New Jersey.


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http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/6861/img5601che.jpg

this bridge is really long ..

I think I've read of a July opening date. The final product will look at bit different than the rendering at the top of this thread shows. In one of those pictures you can see the revised plan- the roof will not go the whole way around. But it does still look quite nice. I look forward to seeing a game there.

Here's a recent picture from the Sons of Ben flickr page...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2594/4157331973_29d70d4e50_o.jpg

Sons of Ben is the main supporters group for The Union.

Interesting , i think this is just the beginning of alot Soccer Stadium construction around North America, Soccer is becoming just as popular as Football & Baseball.

~Corey

I hope that this helps Chester.. the City really needs it.. I read the slogan for the City back in WW II was "What Chester Makes.. Makes Chester"..I guess this was in response to Trenton's "What Trenton Makes.. the World Takes" :lol:

Just an update, as the 2010 MLS schedule was revealed yesterday, the opening date of this stadium was also revealed; first game will be on the 27th of June against Seattle Sounders. Also, 6abc will be broadcasting some of the games live.. pretty cool.

Naming right have been sold. Here's an article just before the naming rights were announcing, I heard on the radio about the agreement but don't have an article on it. The name has been changed.

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2010/02/03/news/doc4b695145956eb101251917.txt

so they sold naming rights before they started building,just wondering how much they take

so they sold naming rights before they started building,just wondering how much they take

The stadium was actually started back about a year ago. It should be finished in about 3 months. The deal was $20 million for 11 years.

Nice article,thank you!
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