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Boston Globe
05-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Krafts pledge more development will follow soccer stadium in Everett
Advertisement 'We've had people from outside of Massachusetts trying to get us to move the team,' Robert Kraft said. 'But we want to be here in this state, and do something really cool and creative.' Jonathan Kraft said that if the Krafts go ahead with the project, it would open up a fenced-off waterfront for yearlong public access, not to mention future development opportunities in this part of Everett, also home to Wynn's Encore Boston Harbor casino. He noted how the Kraft family Since then, the Krafts have additionally invested well over twice that amount in the stadium and surrounding properties, Jonathan Kraft said, pointing to the adjacent Patriot Place retail development and upgrades to the stadium, currently shared by the Pats and Revs. Advertisement 'If we're fortunate enough to be able to build this stadium, I'm confident that working together with the community of Everett and the political leaders, that this will only be the beginning,' Jonathan Kraft said. 'There will be more investment that follows.' They left the building without taking comments, leaving Revs president Brian Bilello and vice president Cathal Conlon to talk about the project's details. Bilello said the stadium could host concerts for up to 30,000 people, high-profile soccer games outside of Major League Soccer, and community events and festivals. 'There's really no end [to] how we could use the facility,' he said. Planning for the stadium is still in the early stages. The first step was removing the 43-acre site from a state regulated zone known as a Designated Port Area, where only marine industrial developments can occur; the state Legislature DeMaria hosted last week's meeting, and tried to limit discussions to comments about what people want to see in Everett's community impact agreement. The most frequent concern raised was the potential traffic issues on game days, although there would be only minimal parking on the stadium site itself — echoing similar concerns raised by nearby Boston residents. DeMaria expressed optimism that most game attendees would Advertisement DeMaria brushed away calls from a few critics in the audience to hold a citywide referendum over whether the stadium should be built, saying the Krafts' proposal is the best use that the city could hope for to clean up and reuse the site. City councilor Michael Marchese said that what Everett really needs is more tax revenue, much like the millions that used to flow each year into the city's coffers from the power plant during its heyday. (The annual amount the Krafts would contribute to the city hasn't been determined yet.) 'Those ugly towers, which nobody likes, they supported the city pretty damn well over the last 100 years,' Marchese said. 'I just want to see what the trickle-down part is for us, the people of Everett. ... It looks fantastic [but] we need to make money also, not just the billionaires.' Stephanie Ebbert of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Jon Chesto can be reached at
Boston Globe
12-03-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Public transit, traffic, parking: Charlestown residents share concerns, priorities with Wu over proposed Everett stadium
Related : 'We have to leverage the stadium for what it is, we have to leverage it for fixing the road systems,' said one resident. Advertisement Speaking to the crowd Tuesday, Wu emphasized the importance of public input as her administration bargains over what benefits the Kraft Group will agree to provide Boston residents in order to get the city's sign off on the project. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'We need to make sure that the community that's most impacted by this proposal is right here with us, sharing what you're thinking, how you're feeling, how the other impacts that are already happening in the neighborhood have to be factored in,' Wu said. A While the project site, currently a shuttered power plant, is located in Everett, much of the traffic that would flow to the proposed stadium for games, concerts, and other events would go through Charlestown, just across the Mystic River from the 43-acre site. Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria has been in conversations with the Kraft Group over the proposal, and signed a preliminary agreement with the team in November 2023. But state lawmakers included Boston in the legislation passed in November, in response to concerns that the Wu administration was left out of those discussions. Advertisement Wu has argued the stadium, which currently only includes plans for about 75 parking spots, would have a significant impact on Charlestown, particularly on its transportation infrastructure and increased traffic at the Sullivan Square MBTA station. City officials at Tuesday's meeting said the administration is prioritizing securing investments related to transportation, open space, coastal resilience, and benefits for local businesses and the community, in the mitigation agreement. Related : State Representative Daniel J. Ryan and state Senator Sal DiDomenico, both Democrats who represent Charlestown on Beacon Hill, also attended the meeting, along with Boston City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata, whose district includes Charlestown. The Globe previously reported that negotiations between the Revs and the city of Boston have gotten off to a tense start as a state-imposed deadline looms. The preliminary agreement DeMaria signed with the Kraft Group only includes an offer of $750,000 for improvements to Charlestown athletic fields. The Wu administration called that an inadequate starting point, particularly when taking into account a $68 million deal the city reached with the nearby Encore Boston Harbor casino nine years ago. According to the statewide legislation passed in November, the two sides must come to a deal by May 1, at which point a mediator would get involved. If the parties don't come to an agreement by Dec. 31, it'll go to an arbitration panel. But on Tuesday, Wu said she didn't have much of an update on those discussions to share with residents. 'Things really haven't kicked off very much in terms of substantive conversations, because there really hasn't been that much to discuss from the project proponents: We haven't really seen specific details,' Wu said. 'To this date, I still have not gotten a call from the Krafts. ... There's been just radio silence.' Advertisement Wu added that her team has had two meetings with the Kraft Group, and conversations are continuing, but her administration is waiting on more details. In the meantime, they intend to take community feedback and use that to inform what benefits the city pushes for in the agreement. 'I am not sold on a soccer stadium for the sake of soccer stadium,' Wu said. 'I would welcome this one, if we can get the transportation impacts right, if we can get them again to sign a legally binding agreement that does right by Charlestown residents and Boston residents. I hope we can get there.' A representative for the Kraft Group and the New England Revolution did not immediately return the Globe's request for comment. Longtime philanthropist Josh Kraft, the third son of Patriots and Revs' owner Robert Kraft, is challenging Wu as she runs for reelection this year. Kraft has said he would recuse himself from any negotiations involving his family's businesses should he become mayor of Boston. Wu, speaking on GBH's 'Boston Public Radio' Tuesday morning had a more curt response when asked what she would do in Kraft's position. 'I would stay working for my father,' she said. Jon Chesto of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Niki Griswold can be reached at
