Union set to open new stadium in suburban Philly amid state of emergency in Chester

Union set to open new stadium in troubled Chester

CHESTER, Pa. — The Philadelphia Union are moving into their new stadium.

Amid the hoopla of the World Cup in South Africa, the Major League Soccer expansion franchise is hoping to tap into that excitement and command a headline or two when it debuts its $122 million, 18,500-seat PPL Park on Sunday against the Seattle Sounders.

The opening is being tempered by an outburst of violence in the city of Chester, where a state of emergency has been declared after four shooting deaths in an eight-day span. But team officials say there will be ample security for the match, and nothing is expected to cause a change in the planned opening.

The stadium, in the shadow of the Commodore Barry Bridge on the banks of the Delaware River, is located about 10 miles south of Philadelphia. The facility wasn’t ready at the start of the MLS season, forcing the Union to play two home games at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the NFL’s Eagles, and the rest of their early season games on the road.

The Union (2-7-1) are sure to have a home-field advantage the rest of the season. The team plays 13 of its next 20 matches at PPL Park, where the team’s allotment of 12,000 season tickets have long been sold out.

“It’s time, and we’re so excited to make this our home for this year and many, many years in the future,” Union CEO Nick Sakiewicz said.

“Our fans are going to love this place. This is why we built it. The fans are going to be behind this club 100 percent.”

Philadelphia has had spotty history with professional soccer. The Atoms won the North American Soccer League title in their inaugural season in 1973, but folded after four seasons of plunging attendance and win totals. The NASL’s Fury tried a couple of years later, but found victories and fans tough to come by and ended up relocating after three seasons.

The MLS is convinced that this is the right time and Chester is the right place for its 16th team.

The fan base for this team will be drawn from southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. There has been strong fan support from the outset.

In the two previous home matches, the Union averaged nearly 30,000 fans at Lincoln Financial Field in a 3-2 victory over D.C. United in April and a 1-1 draw against FC Dallas in May. Sunday’s game is a sellout.

But the excitement of the opener comes at a time when the city in which the stadium sits is dealing with a rash of shootings.

A five-day emergency declaration in Chester was to expire Wednesday, so Mayor Wendell Butler Jr. and the City Council agreed to extend it by a month.

Under the declaration, people in five high-crime neighborhoods aren’t allowed on the street from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. without a legitimate reason. No gathering of three or more people is allowed in those areas without a permit. Police officers are also working shifts of 12 hours or more.

The city has had 11 homicides this year, compared with seven in the same period last year. In recent years, the murder rate has averaged about 20 per year.

Some bright spots have appeared recently. A Harrah’s racetrack and casino opened on the waterfront in January 2007, adjacent to the county prison. In late 2008, Chester got its first major hotel in more than three decades.

The stadium bears the name of energy company PPL, which has an 11-year naming rights deal worth an estimated $20 million. PPL EnergyPlus is a subsidiary of Allentown-based PPL Corp.

The Union will play their next game on the road Saturday, July 3, at Chivas USA before returning to PPL Park on July 10 against the San Jose Earthquakes.

Associated Press Writer JoAnn Loviglio in Philadelphia contributed to this report.