Welcome to the Chester Economic Development Authority (CEDA).  As a quasi-governmental authority, our fundamental goal at CEDA is to assist the Mayor and Council of the City of Chester in their efforts to make the City of Chester a place where people can find opportunities to live, work and play  and where existing and new businesses can prosper.  As part of that mission we are engaged in a wide variety of activities on behalf of the City and region.  This website provides information about CEDA and what we do as well as other data and information about Chester.  Please feel free to use it to learn more about us and our city.

On February 1, 2012, Whitney White was appointed as the Executive Director, whose experience as a White House staffer and resource for the Clinton and Bush administrations respectively, will provide the impetus to move forward with President Obama's Strong Cities Strong Communities (SC2) and National Export initiatives. With the advent of the SC2 White House and CEDA's Business Resource Network initiatives, CEDA will be the portal to leverage federal, private and non-profit resources, which will directly impact, in a positive manner, on the causes of poverty and joblessness in this enduring city.

Working with the Mayor and Council, CEDA is the prime developer of, economic and development: strategies, policies, implementation and compliance. In keeping with the Mayor’s vision of an entrepreneurial community, CEDA has established an office of international trade and an office of Sustainability, that together, and on the foundation already forged, will encourage access to global trade and cleantec economies, moving Chester into the 21st century.

CEDA’s Office of International Trade, will develop export policies for businesses and provide the supports necessary for business to take advantage of Chester’s long history as a port community, while creating new public-private supports, in the creation of emerging markets portals.

CEDA’s Office of Sustainability’s major thrust will be on Smart Growth, CleanTec and Sustainable Communities. In line with EPA standards, CEDA will be actively pursuing conservation strategies that will be directed towards environmentally responsible redevelopment and reuse. These offices and subsequent policies, are intended to make Chester economically stronger, more attractive and increased socially diverse community.

The current administration is making it a priority to revitalize the Central Business District, popularly called the downtown. The emphasis is on recapturing properties that have become havens of speculation and misuse. Better access through a revitalized Chester Transportation Center, making it a destination station, a uniformed and reasonable ordinance code that will free properties of redundant constraints. At the heart of this downtown growth, will stand an Historic, Arts and Cultural engine, repatriating buildings, neighborhoods, creating positive change.