Today is Leap Day. And it’s never been more appropriate for the only city in Delaware County.

Yesterday Chester took one giant leap forward. You might say it became a major league city again.

Especially if you happen to be a soccer fan.

At exactly 2:12 p.m. Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber strode to the microphone and confirmed what has to be one of the worst-kept secrets in sports history. The city of Chester has been awarded the 16th franchise in MLS history.

I keep trying to get a grip on just how momentous a day this was for Chester.
I think maybe that was best indicated by one of the seemingly endless parade of local, county and state officials who took turns at the microphone to welcome the sports world to Delaware County.

It was something that state Sen. Dominic Pileggi, R-9, said that struck a chord with me.

Pileggi knows a little something about Chester. He served as its mayor. He knows what the city once was, how far it declined, and he played a large part in planting the seeds to the economic rebirth now starting to bloom in the city.

Pileggi has lived in the city for half a century.

“I’ve never seen a day like today,” he admitted.

I feel the same way. There are a lot of people who believe that part of the city’s perception problem stems from the way it is too often portrayed in the county’s daily newspaper. There is probably a grain of truth in that.

Don’t get me wrong. Chester still has serious problems.

But to claim that an equally serious turnaround there is not underway is simply to ignore the obvious. Yesterday’s announcement that an MLS franchise will play its games in a $115 million stadium to be built in the shadow of the Commodore Barry Bridge is the crown jewel in that economic renaissance.

This newspaper has been a big proponent of the stadium project. I said so again last night on WPHT Talk Radio 1210. Host Dom Giordano asked me to come to talk about the stadium. He’s not a big fan of this kind of “boondoggle,” especially when it comes to using a big chunk of public funds to do it.

I disagree, and offered my reasons why.

The truth is if this was just a stadium, I probably still would be in favor of it. Anything that helps the city of Chester is a good thing in my book. But this is much more than just a stadium.

The owners/developers will use the stadium as the linchpin of a $500 million development along the riverfront that will make the city of Chester a destination point, and something to rival anything available in Wilmington or Camden.
Not everyone agrees. I don’t expect them to.

In the meantime, Chester once again is a ‘Major League’ city.
First-class, as Gov. Ed Rendell suggested in his comments.

Feb. 29.
Make that one giant leap for Chester.
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Just so everyone will not feel as if I've become a total 'homer' for this project, I will point out this bit of irony.

There are 15 public high schools in Delaware County. There are 14 boys soccer teams.

Guess which school does not have one? The once the 16th franchise in Major League Soccer will call home.

I hope that changes. The kids in Chester deserve better.