INITIAL SITUATION

Ola Solanke is the owner of the company A World So Special; dba SeaPort Events Complex, as part of his commitment to improve the quality of life in Chester after he moved from Philadelphia he started the development of the Seaport Events Complex. Located in beautiful City of Chester, Mr. Solanke, has been working on a high end event center within a soccer kick of the Philadelphia Union soccer stadium

The Seaport Event Complex is a 2.06-acre waterfront property with 48,000 square feet of commercial space which can be subdivided into smaller 2,500 sq foot units for a mix of retail, tech start-ups, offices space, and possibly a business incubator. When completed Mr. Solanke believes it will add an additional 200 plus jobs to the City of Chester.

Mr. Solanke's project aligns well with the Chester Waterfront Master Plan launched in 2020. The plan outlines the revitalization of the City of Chester, as a result a groundswell of development activities is already beginning to show promises of a brighter future in the Chester neighborhoods.

HOW THE SBDC HELPED

QUOTE

"The City of Chester is thankful to the Widener Small Business Development Center for assisting Chester businesses such as the Seaport Event Complex grow and prosper in our community" -  Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland

The Widener SBDC has been providing business consulting to Mr. Solanke for many years, including helping him to acquire a S1MM Redevelopment Assistant Capital Program (RACP) award from the state and helping him with an additional RACP grant submission along with other financing options. The SBDC is also assisting Mr. Solanke find additional tenants for his project.

Mr. Solanke's contributions to downtown Chester and Chester city are sure to leave a lasting positive impact for years to come.

SUCCESS

The Larimer Brewery is the Seaport development's first and current tenant. Larimer is a licensed PA manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer of patented domestic beers, It has fast become a gathering place for pre and post-game socials. Sports fans gather for soccer, the NBA, NFL, NHL, WBF, WWF, and other sporting events, while adding outdoor entertainments for a transient crowd already in Chester for soccer games and others from in and around the City and Delaware County.

On October 2, 2021, the African American Chamber of Commerce and the Urban League of Philadelphia hosted an Open House event for the project. The event participants included, Pennsylvania State Senator John Kane, State Representative Brian Kirkland, Chester.