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A setback for Chester
The economic recovery taking place on the Chester waterfront has been impressive.
It started with the Wharf at Rivertown and its majestic restored PECO Power Station, spread to the other end of Route 291 and the opening of Harrah’s Chester Casino & Racetrack, and got another jolt last week with the groundbreaking for the new soccer stadium in the shadow of the Commodore Barry Bridge that will be home to the region’s new Major League Soccer franchise.
This week we even saw the renaissance spread into other areas of the city. The city saw its first major hotel take root in the city in more than three decades. The Best Western will be part of what is being referred to as “The Hub,” part of the University Crossing development on land owned by Widener University.
But Chester certainly is not averse to bad economic news as well. Heaven knows the city has faced its share of tough times.
With the nation’s economy in full meltdown, with the auto industry in peril, with banks shedding jobs like so many bad pennies, it was unrealistic to believe that the city would avoid a setback as well.
This week Chester’s economy, which has taken so many steps forward, took a step back.
Wells Fargo Auto Finance, one of the key tenants at the Wharf at Rivertown, said it would scale back its operations. And the timing could not be worse.
The move will come just two days before Christmas. Exactly how many people will lose their jobs, or whether some of them will be moved to different Wells Fargo operations, is still unclear. The bottom line is this. A substantial number of workers are going to lose their jobs days before Christmas.
Wells Fargo Auto Finance has been very good for Chester – and Delaware County. They are one of the county’s biggest employers, with more than 800 people at their operations on the city’s waterfront. They are a unit of Wells Fargo & Co.
Employees routinely took part in projects such as wrapping toys for needy kids at CityTeam Ministries in the city, and co-sponsoring charity galas that benefited Habitat for Humanity.
Chester certainly is no immune to downturns in the economy. The city has made huge steps in the past few years to set in motion a significant economic turnaround.
Our thoughts go out to the workers who will be losing their jobs.
But we remain confident that the city is on the right track.
It started with the Wharf at Rivertown and its majestic restored PECO Power Station, spread to the other end of Route 291 and the opening of Harrah’s Chester Casino & Racetrack, and got another jolt last week with the groundbreaking for the new soccer stadium in the shadow of the Commodore Barry Bridge that will be home to the region’s new Major League Soccer franchise.
This week we even saw the renaissance spread into other areas of the city. The city saw its first major hotel take root in the city in more than three decades. The Best Western will be part of what is being referred to as “The Hub,” part of the University Crossing development on land owned by Widener University.
But Chester certainly is not averse to bad economic news as well. Heaven knows the city has faced its share of tough times.
With the nation’s economy in full meltdown, with the auto industry in peril, with banks shedding jobs like so many bad pennies, it was unrealistic to believe that the city would avoid a setback as well.
This week Chester’s economy, which has taken so many steps forward, took a step back.
Wells Fargo Auto Finance, one of the key tenants at the Wharf at Rivertown, said it would scale back its operations. And the timing could not be worse.
The move will come just two days before Christmas. Exactly how many people will lose their jobs, or whether some of them will be moved to different Wells Fargo operations, is still unclear. The bottom line is this. A substantial number of workers are going to lose their jobs days before Christmas.
Wells Fargo Auto Finance has been very good for Chester – and Delaware County. They are one of the county’s biggest employers, with more than 800 people at their operations on the city’s waterfront. They are a unit of Wells Fargo & Co.
Employees routinely took part in projects such as wrapping toys for needy kids at CityTeam Ministries in the city, and co-sponsoring charity galas that benefited Habitat for Humanity.
Chester certainly is no immune to downturns in the economy. The city has made huge steps in the past few years to set in motion a significant economic turnaround.
Our thoughts go out to the workers who will be losing their jobs.
But we remain confident that the city is on the right track.
posted by Heron's Nest at
7:13 AM
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