05-05-2025
Krafts pledge more development will follow soccer stadium in Everett
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'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.
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'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
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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
