It has been "nearly five years since PPL Park opened with high expectations," yet with its June anniversary nearing, Chester, Pa., "remains one of the state's most violent and impoverished cities," according to Caitlin McCabe of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. When the stadium opened, the hope was it would "become a hub for economic development, the centerpiece of a waterfront stretch that would include housing, corporate offices, and a convention center." Since '10, the stadium has "added training fields and an annex building, but it's still flanked by nearly two dozen acres of undeveloped land -- and few signs of economic life." Chester Mayor John Linder said that the park and its owners "have not done enough to boost the city's economy or residents." State Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland "has gone as far as calling the relationship between the park and the city 'hostile.'" Owners of the Union said that they "'wouldn't characterize the relationship as outstanding,' but that they have worked through many issues ... that once created tension." Union CEO Nick Sakiewicz said, "Revitalizing the city isn't what we ever promised. One business doesn't fix decades of economic mismanagement in a city" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 5/31).
