Training Grounds catch-all

Bobby Clarke lived next to my friend in Moorestown at some point. This was in the late eighties early nineties. So that could have changed.

When they finally get around to finishing the development promised to Chester the players can live right there. All Union. All the time. No distractions.

 

There really isn't any reason to have a training facility next to the stadium. First you remove parking revenue, next you incur building costs and the two fields just increased maintenance cost but you still don't have an all weather facility. Do you think any type of field rental would make up for the lost parking revenue? (keep in mind all the events that goes on at PPL )I don't.

I think it wouldn't be hard to find cheap land in Delco, away from the river where you could build an A class training facility with 2 grass field, a domed half field and training/office space.

Hold them to the original design, which if I remember correctly was a marina, hotel and retail. Then Chester City might not be so pissed off. Because those sell out crowds at PPL aren't spending any time or money in Chester after the game.

 

Yeah, I assume the new land will be a supplemental parking lot... but I don't think the article actually specified that.

I agree in a perfect world we'd have all the perks/features/plans that hug.the.post is talking about, but we pretty much need to take what we can get at this point.

 

Well that'll be a pretty long walk.....

 

People will still need to park somewhere, so they'll definitely be adding additional parking elsewhere. No money lost there.

The original plans may have shown retail, marina, etc., but that's not up the Union really. There needs to be investment from businesses who want to open up franchises near the stadium. Not making excuses, but really both sides(Chester and the FO) were naive to think 20ish events a year are going to be enough to draw additional business to the waterfront...

 

So its all going to be footlockers? Ok, so Kid's Footlocker, Lady's and Men's Footlocker. So they plan only 3 stores?

 

I was thinking the same thing, and then read your post! Rep. You did forget one retail outlet though... We need liquor store so we can all get drunk.

 

PPL Park was going to lead a city rebirth. While the mayor remains hopeful, frustrations are rising.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/2..._big_score_in_soccer.html#QcIPYYld75iIcUcX.99

There's not too much new information in here, just more negative press. I know Sak has complained before about the new parking lots hurting the Union's bottom line, which may be true but is still difficult to respect. It's frustrating to read that he believes his non-paved lots with poor road access should be protected from other non-paved lots with slightly less worse road access.

 

City of Chester are not happy with the lack of development after the stadiums completion.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20140427_Chester_still_awaits_a_big_score_in_soccer.html

 

And they are right.

 

It should come to no surprise that the Union have had little desire to "build" anything more then the stadium and facilities that would accommodate only them. What loyalty did they ever have to the city of Chester?

Time after time, public taxpayer money is used to support the development of stadiums that only benefit the ownership of said team and nothing more. Chester (and the politicians who represent Chester) should be outrage that nothing has been done further to develop the space around PPL park, but also realize why they are in this situation now. Their mistake was agreeing to only the stadium first and not forcing a deal for "everything included" from the start. But I hardly think those politicians had the people of Chester in mind when they made the deal!

I think Gov. Rendell should be held accountable as well as he forced the hand of the taxpayers to help pay for site; knowing full well that the developers had an out after the construction of PPL park. But he is long gone and remembered here in Philly for what he did do, but not what he didn't do!

 

Living in Delco I am central between the South Philly Complex and PPL Park.
So far a jail has been built in Chester, A casino, and down further is the PPL Park where more is supposed to be done.
I agree with just PPL Park is probably not enough to build retail stores.
Since the old Spectrum has been torn down across the street from the main new venue for Flyers and sixers secondary venue has become Liacorous Center on the Temple Campus.
With land being inexpensive to build I would wonder if MR Snyder and his Spectacor would build a secondary venue on the waterfront to house the Flyers AHL Phantoms and the Sixers NBA D League team as well as possibilty moving the AFL Soul and the Wings to the venue. There is a huge presence of Lacrosse in Delco as well. Then there would be much more incentive to build retail with many more events.
The Phantoms drew huge when they were playing in the Old Spectrum and could possibily do the same if nearby in Delco with the same access from the Main Line, over the bridge in Jersey, 95 from Delaware. A lot of Hockey fans with accesss to the venue. Chester by far is huge in the HS sports world of basketball. Moving the Phantoms back from Adirondack and the sixers D league from the Delaware University.
Villanova uses PPL park as a neutral site location for their home rival FCS football game with Delaware.
Same could be done with CAA rival Drexel as well as hosting the CAA basketball conference tournament.
The venue could lend itself to Flyers cup competitions as well as possible HS PIAA basketball playoffs and local college basketball events in a 10-12K venue with suites etc. similar to the PPL park

 

The Philadelphia Union Foundation was out cleaning up the area around PPL recently. So, uh, that's something.

 

Phantoms are going to Allentown's new arena, so that's out.

Not that these fields are going to be built, especially if they have to eat Hack's contract in the next few weeks...

 

I'm down on the club for many reasons (mostly on the field/Hack), but I don't blame them for the lack of development. The real estate market collapsed after PPL Park was built, and over the last 18 months they've tried to market various development opportunities near the stadium to the real estate community. No developers have stepped in to seize the opportunities because there are better/easier opportunities in the region. Maybe Buccini Pollin should step up with their own efforts, but they also have to deal with the reality of a distressed market like Chester.

 

part question / part comment here .

I waited decades for the soccer to come back to Philly and then when it did I had to move after only
getting to enjoy the first couple seasons , So I am a bit out of the loop but follow still trying to Follow the Union from afar. I ready the Inky article last week and have got a general sense of the honeymoon is over for the team and wondering what its actually like on game day ? ( terrible start to season not withstanding .)

So question part is does anybody ever walk from Highland Station to the game ? Has there ever been any organized walks from the station. I went to the first Sounders game randomly and have gone a few times since, and let me tell you there was nothing near the stadium but warehouses and dirt parking lots , but in the years since then that area has been seen growth and lot has to do with the fact people became comfortable walking/ hanging around there. I don't understand how the team or the city thinks there will ever be change if there isn't some actual interaction between them, outlet shopping and more parking lots aren't going to do it.

Highland station to PPL is 0.9 miles , why not give it a try ? Seriously the walk is essentially the same as from Broad and Pattison ( AT&T) station to the Linc . It seems it would be a visible way to negate this idea that people come in their cars and race away as soon as the whistle blows. Do they still run those shuttle buses from Chester Station ? It always seemed an absolutely terrible way to endear the team to the community was to ferry people through town in that manner ? I know they are a soccer club not a urban planning firm , but there has be some thought put into this stuff right ?

hope to get to a game this season , would love to hear thoughts.

CH-

 

In general I agree with this post.
I think the comparison to Seattle is not all that helpful, though--that stadium is right on a transit line, and while it's not in a busy area it's not in a truly troubled neighborhood.
But I do think that building connections to the neighborhoods that house our teams are things that all supporters groups should actively try to do, even if it's just paying for neighborhood lots, patronizing neighborhood bars, etc etc

 

I think this was tossed out there back when PPL Park was first being built, but obviously nothing came of it... I don't think it would be the worst idea in the world, and there would be plenty of opportunity for events at an arena like that, but I just don't see it ever being built... it certainly wouldn't get public funding at this point.

 

probably not at this point but would have definitely have given the area many more events year round.
With the info that the Phantoms are moving to a new arena in Allentown not reason for Mr Snyder to get involved. The sixers securing Delaware U for the 87's also keeps them close by.
PPL park draws as many non union events possible so moving their operations and practice fields next to PPL park would benefit these events giving Lacrosse, rugby sevens, and NCAA soccer events pratice fields for the teams participating.

I guess between the Sun national Bank Center in Trenton (former home of the flyers ECHL affiliate) and Liacourous Center in North Philadephia pretty much covers a secondary veneus for Hockey and basketball. PPL park in Chester covers outdoor events as a secondary venue to the area, and Canpbells field in Camden handles baseball.