Gov. Josh Shapiro announced a nearly $100 million public-private investment in the city of Chester on Thursday that he said is unlike anything the city had ever seen.
“All together, this investment is going to help kickstart the next chapter in Pennsylvania’s oldest city, in the place where it all began,” the governor said. “We’re excited for the future of Chester and we’re excited that it reflects the will of the people.”
This targeted fund investment includes $75.5 million in state funds plus monetary investments by Widener University, Wawa, Essential Utilities, the Philadelphia Union and Power Home Remodeling, to help improve infrastructure, support violence intervention, eliminate blight in neighborhoods to attract business and support first responders and police.
Shapiro said this funding is on top of the $32 million Pennsylvania has already invested in Chester over the last three years.
“This,” the governor said, “is a true collaboration between state and local government, the community and its businesses unlike anything Chester has ever seen.”
The combined public/private funds are reserved for specific projects, some of which have already started. They include:
• $52.5 million for the Route 291/U.S. 13 project to redesign and revamp a section of Route 291 that bisects Chester’s downtown from the waterfront to increase roadway safety: $50.07 million through a PennDOT/Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission Complete Streets Safety Project and $2.5 million from Delaware County.
• $27.5 million for the Waterfront Sportsplex development project to build new outdoor fields, a 100,000-square-foot fieldhouse, indoor courts, academy space, and a performance center to expand youth programs and support school and community sports. Of that, $13 million will be through the commonwealth’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Project program and $14.5 million will come from matching funds from the Philadelphia Union.
• $7.2 million through PennDOT’s Transportation Infrastructure and Improvement Fund program for a Complete Streets project to connect the city’s downtown and Widener University with new sidewalks and other pedestrian improvements along Edgemont Avenue from 14th Street to 17th Street.
• $6.2 million for Widener University to support major renovations and site upgrades to modernize Lathem Hall: $2.5 million through the commonwealth’s RACP program and $3.78 million in matching funds from Widener University.
• $2.6 million to help address blight through demolition and site readiness. Essential Utilities, Power Home Remodeling, and Wawa have committed $2 million to this effort collectively. Delaware County has also committed $400,000 through its Act 151 funding and Chester City has committed $200,000 through its Community Development Block Grant. Under this funding, two buildings will be demolished, 10 lots will be acquired, two buildings will be acquired, and 25 structures will be improved.
• $440,280 through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s Violence Intervention and Prevention program to the Making a Change Group to help reduce violence by providing mentoring opportunities and credible messenger-based violence intervention services to young adults living in three neighborhoods in Chester.
• $400,000 through the Chester Pilot Capitalization Program — $150,000 through the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and $250,000 through the Chester Cultural Arts and Technology Center — to invest in the center as a community hub for social enterprise, community engagement, and workforce development.
• $33,000 through DCED’s Economic Development and Community Development Initiatives program to help fund a Neighborhood Block Captain Program through Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful for hundreds of volunteers across more than a dozen neighborhoods.
• $22,800 through DCED’s Enterprise Zone designation for the city that focuses on the deteriorated, distressed, and blighted industrial or manufacturing areas of a community.
Mayor ecstatic
“These are not simply just projects on a list,” Chester Mayor Stefan Roots said. “They represent a better quality of life for Chester residents. This historic investment moves us towards what I call Chester 2.0. We are proud of our history but after more than 50 years of steady decline, meaningful change around here is long overdue.”
Saying he might just be the happiest mayor in America at that moment, Roots said these efforts would lead to an epic American city turnaround.
“So many people believe that Chester’s best days are behind us,” he said. “What they don’t know is that Chester cannot be counted out. Chester will not be ignored and Chester cannot be defeated.”
Describing Chester as a proud city, with a resilient spirit and people who never stopped believing in its future, he said Thursday was a day for the city’s tagline: “Where History Meets Progress.”
“Today, we see those words coming into life,” Roots said, adding that it was an effort that began when he came into office in January 2024 when he engaged the governor and his administration. “I shared my vision for Chester and identified our city’s most pressing needs.”
From then, his office and state departments worked to draft solutions for the city.
“The governor and his team listened,” Roots said. “They worked with us but most importantly, they believed in the potential right here in Chester.”
Lawmakers, biz leaders
State Sen. John Kane, D-9, who has an office in the city, applauded the investment.
“Since entering office, my goal has been to improve the city of Chester and help build the future its residents deserve,” he said. “Today, a major step toward that goal has been made public. This announcement reflects years of planning, advocacy, partnership, and investment, and it is incredibly meaningful to celebrate the culmination of that work. Chester has always been defined by the strength, pride, and resilience of its people. I’m proud to partner with the city, my fellow legislators, and Gov. Shapiro to help bring real, lasting change to this community and build on the energy and spirit already here.”
Shapiro also praised the engagement of the private partners involved in this effort.
“As a Pennsylvania-based company with deep roots in Delaware County, Wawa is proud to invest in this partnership to support programs and neighborhood improvements to build a stronger future,” Wawa Chairman and CEO Chris Gheysens said.
Philadelphia Union owner Jay Sugarman said approximately 1 million people come to the Chester waterfront each year to watch Union players, work in the offices or train and have kids train in their facilities.
“There’s a lot of work to do and we need people who can get stuff done,” he said, as he praised both Shapiro and Roots for their work.
Like the city, Sugarman said of the Union, “We’re just getting started … This is an opportunity to grow that waterfront into another part of Chester that can be special, not just locally, not just in Pennsylvania, but nationally. People know Chester. We want to put Chester on the map.”
David Kralle, vice president of public affairs for Essential Utilities, said their investment was indicative “of how critical the city of Chester is for the future of all of Southeastern Pennsylvania. And so Aqua will always remain committed to the future of this city and this region.”
Power Home Remodeling co-founder Adam Kaliner said, “We are proud to play an active role in this collaborative effort. Our roots are firmly planted in Chester, and our true investment will always be in the people, families, and neighbors who make Chester so vibrant. We are honored to contribute to this transformation and help build a stronger, brighter future for our hometown.”
Widener University President Stacey Robertson added, “This is exactly the kind of partnership Chester needs: one where economic opportunity, education and revitalization move forward together. Widener is proud to call Chester home, and we look forward to being an active partner in writing this next chapter.”
‘Long road ahead’
Shapiro said the receivership and that process is separate from this investment.
“These dollars will be floating in a way that protects them from that process,” Shapiro explained.
In 2020, then-Gov. Tom Wolf declared a fiscal emergency in Chester and appointed Receiver Michael Doweary to draft a Recovery Plan for the city. In November 2022, Doweary filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy for the city. Both the receivership and the bankruptcy proceedings are ongoing.
Shapiro acknowledged that the city’s bankruptcy proceedings will take time.
“I’m here today to say we can’t wait on that,” the governor said. “I know there is a long road ahead for Chester. The time to invest in Chester is now.”
He said this investment shows a multitude of partners working together on the city’s behalf.
“There is a bright future for Chester,” Shapiro said. “This is just the beginning of our work together. Let me repeat that: This is just the beginning of our work together.”
Shapiro spoke to those who have been doing the city’s work.
“Most importantly, I think it signals a commitment to the unsung heroes who have long taken up the hard work of believing and investing in this city: the moms and grandmoms who sit on the front stoop to make sure the kids actually get where they needed to go, the small businesses who could’ve located anywhere but chose to be here in Chester, the soul work that’s happening in our churches and in our community centers, who felt for a long time that they were doing it on their own,” he said. “Now, you’ve got a lot of partners here.”
The governor offered a historical context in his announcement.
“Chester is a critically important part of our Commonwealth’s history,” the governor noted. “This is literally where the story began back in 1682.”
He spoke of William Penn’s arrival on the ship Welcome, landing in Chester.
“For centuries after, the city of Chester stood tall as a great economic driver during our industrial age, a center of major manufacturing, home to the world’s largest single shipyard during World War II,” Shapiro said.
Then, he said, “Let’s be honest over the last few decades with the decline of manufacturing and the closing of factories, Chester has faced serious economic challenges and the city is trying to navigate its way through those hardships. For too long, it’s been left behind and abandoned by the leadership of some in our state Capitol and throughout the region.
“In times when Chester needed support and a helping hand, well, investment and resources were instead sucked out of this great city and its place was, literally, placed trash,” he continued before issuing an ultimatum.
“I’m here today to tell you that ends on my watch,” Shapiro said “I believe Chester is a place with great value and great promise for a great future and this is not just a place you should look at from a historical perspective any longer.”
