-
Go In, See The Game, Get Out Of Dodge
-
When Pennsylvania spent $47 million on a Major League Soccer stadium for the Philadelphia Union, I remember saying, geez, why are they putting it in Chester, PA, a terribly poverty- and crime-stricken place with no public transportation convenient to the site? And the response back then in 2008 was, well, it'll revitalize Chester, stimulate development, you'll see. Here we are in 2014, the stadium's been there for five seasons, and... no development. The stadium does draw good attendance, but there's nothing around it but vacant lots, run-down industrial buildings, and the same misery that was there before they spent $47 million of taxpayers' money. You can also look at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, which was supposed to be accompanied by a whole complex of affordable housing and new retail that isn't there, and you get the idea. Yet so many cities are still fooled by sports franchises' pie-in-the-sky promises. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Have an opinion? Add your comment below.