re: Downtown ball parks
Penn planned to expand - they've since bought the old GE building, the 30th St Post office and lands, and maybe the railway sidings too, and demolished the old Civic Center (some of it salvaged at least). They blocked everything on that side of the river.
While Rendell touted the Broad and Spring Garden site, it never really got off the ground.
Then Street hummed and haaad for a while before declaring "Chinatown!" which was met with a collective "WTF????".
Chinatown revolted, millions died, and Street took the easy way out.