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CBS News
a day ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Opponents of White Stadium project question Mayor Wu's concerns over Everett soccer stadium
Opponents of the White Stadium project say Mayor Michelle Wu is treating their community concerns differently from those in other areas of Boston. Last Monday, Wu held a news conference in Charlestown, arguing that the Kraft Group had not provided the Boston neighborhood enough information on potential transportation and environmental impacts of a proposed soccer stadium for the New England Revolution across the Mystic River in Everett. "Boston residents deserve better. We deserve a responsive proposal that positions this new stadium as a regional point of pride," Wu said. But members of a group called the Franklin Park Defenders and other residents of Roxbury, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain and Mattapan say the Mayor never met with them regarding their concerns related to the proposed construction of a professional women's soccer stadium for BOS Legacy FC in Franklin Park. "As taxpayers, we're concerned that we're being neglected, disrespected, and treated like second-class citizens," said Louis Elisa, one of the founding members of Franklin Park Defenders. "It's important that we don't pick and choose which neighborhoods we give answers to," said City Councilor Erin Murphy, who attended the group's news conference on Monday. The group held a news conference as the battle over the two stadiums has become a flash point in Boston's Mayoral race. Wu's opponent, Josh Kraft, weighed in Monday, saying, "Mayor Wu's refusal to listen to residents who live in the neighborhood around White Stadium, despite repeated requests to do so, is the clearest sign yet that she doesn't care about their concerns." WBZ-TV reached out to Mayor Wu's office for a comment on this story, but did not receive a response.
CBS News
04-08-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Boston Mayor Wu, Kraft Group spar over proposed soccer stadium for Revolution in Everett
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu held a press conference Monday, openly criticizing the Kraft Group for its handling of a proposed soccer stadium for the New England Revolution in Everett. "The city of Boston has asked the Kraft Group for basic information about the stadium's impacts on transportation, noise, jobs," Wu said. The Kraft Group is proposing a 25,000-seat stadium on the edge of the Mystic River where a dormant power plant currently sits. Across the river sits the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston and Wu argues that fans will have to travel through Charlestown and the congested area of Sullivan Square in order to reach the stadium. "I have pushed a stroller through. You are fearing for your life. For your child's life," she said. Wu also claimed that the Kraft Group has offered a $750,000 mitigation package to Boston, smaller than what was provided by the owners of the Encore Casino in Everett. "$750,000 is just 1.1% of the $68 million mitigation package that was paid for the Everett casino project right nearby," Wu said. In a same day rebuttal press conference, Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria and Revolution President Brian Bilello fired back. "Once the legislation was passed, we reached out in November to Boston to start the process of negotiating a community impact agreement. From that point, it took multiple correspondences to even receive a response from the city of Boston," Bilello said. DeMaria balked at Wu's claims that there will be traffic disruptions. He said a new Commuter Rail stop and foot bridge will help with traffic. "I don't know what the city of Boston expects. Tax revenue? It's not in Boston. It's in Everett. We're going to receive the taxes. Mitigation on traffic and transportation improvements? That's going to be done through Chapter 91," DeMaria said. If no agreement is reached between Everett, Boston, and the Kraft Group by December, the plan will go to binding arbitration.
Boston Globe
04-08-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Neil Barua shines as CEO at Boston software firm PTC
Consolidation could mean more acquisitions for PTC, too. The firm has made three of them in the past two years. Barua, in an interview several weeks before the earnings announcement, said the company will continue to consider smaller acquisitions that help accelerate and augment its existing priorities and core technology. Advertisement Barua joined the company via one of those deals: the $1.5 billion purchase of ServiceMax, a California company that had been controlled by private equity firm Silver Lake (where Barua worked before leading ServiceMax). Barua, who became chief executive upon Heppelmann's retirement in early 2024, relocated to the Boston area, where about 1,000 of the firm's 7,000 employees are based. He's taken a hybrid return-to-office approach, giving employees the option to decide when to go into the Seaport headquarters. Advertisement 'There's a grit and there's a level of, 'We've gone through so many different things over the last four years at PTC and, quite frankly within Boston itself,'' Barua said. 'I actually think that resilience that the Boston community has is a big, big plus. I'm not saying San Francisco doesn't have it, but they don't have it anywhere close to what I've seen here in Boston.' PTC is now one of the biggest software firms in the Boston area and also one of the oldest. The company just celebrated its 40th anniversary. 'It's one of the few companies in technology that's been around for 40 years,' Barua said. 'I believe the next 40 years are going to be even brighter.' Tom Glynn is back in the ring The Wu administration has turned to a familiar face to referee negotiations with the Kraft Group over the construction of a pro soccer stadium: former Massport chief executive Tom Glynn . Glynn is stepping in because state legislation allowing the soccer stadium for the New England Revolution to go up in an industrial zone on the Everett waterfront — across the Mystic River from Charlestown — also requires the Kraft Group to reach community mitigation agreements with Everett and Boston. Aside from his tenure as port authority chief, Glynn has held a number of prominent roles in Boston, including as a top executive with hospital chain Mass General Brigham (when it was still known as Partners HealthCare), chief executive of the Harvard Allston Land Co. , and chair of the MBTA's board. He's essentially coming out of retirement, again, to mediate the soccer stadium talks. Advertisement Glynn has also pulled double duty as a mediator at times. In 2002, then-mayor Tom Menino reached out to Glynn to help bring labor peace to office janitors who were out on strike. Two years later, Glynn worked with Tom Birmingham to help Menino reach contract accords with city police and firefighter unions. The state legislation rezoning the area where the Revs stadium would go requires mediation if a deal couldn't be done by May 1, and sends the issue to arbitration if one can't be reached by Dec. 31. Glynn said he was first approached by Mayor Michelle Wu 's administration in June and was initially reluctant. But after the Kraft Group agreed to the choice, he decided to help. He asked if Rebecca Kaiser , a former Partners colleague who is now a consultant, could join him. Glynn said he'll be paid $10,000 a month for five months to oversee the mediation, starting on Aug. 1, while Kaiser will receive $5,000 a month; the city and the Kraft Group will split the tab. The lead negotiator for the Kraft Group is Jim Cobery , while Lisa Herrington represents the city. 'Our goal is to have a win-win for soccer fans and for the people who live in Charlestown, Glynn said. 'Maybe that sounds naïve or simplistic, but that is in fact the deal.' Teaming up for impact Krissie Kelleher graduated from Boston College nearly 30 years ago. But she clearly remembers the camaraderie she enjoyed and the leadership skills she honed by being part of BC's lacrosse team. It's an experience that informed her decision to join Team Impact from the Rivers School in Weston as the Boston-based nonprofit's chief development officer in January. And now she will draw upon it again, as she steps up to be its new chief executive. Team Impact matches children who have disabilities or debilitating illnesses with college sports teams. The kids and their teams share activities to bond with each other over two years, starting with a 'signing day,' and including hangouts and visits. Advertisement Kelleher replaces Joe Daniels , who left in March after less than a year in the job. Daniels had taken over for longtime leader Seth Rosenzweig , who essentially had turned the organization from a construction company owner's dream into a national nonprofit. Team Impact got started because Jay Calnan of J. Calnan & Associates was inspired by his late brother Chris Calnan 's experience as a batboy at a Red Sox affiliate in Connecticut. Calnan launched Team Impact in 2011 with help from Dan Kraft , a top executive with the Kraft Group , and other Tufts University alums and friends. Since then, more than 4,000 kids have been matched with university teams. Team Impact has offices in Boston and four other cities, a $10 million budget, and a staff of more than 50 people. 'Playing for and captaining the college team taught me so much about leadership and empowerment,' Kelleher said. 'Every athlete understands how important and how formative that experience [can be]. Being able to extend that experience to children that really need it is remarkably invaluable.' From intern to CEO at Alku Be nice to the interns. You never know when one of them might end up running the company. That's one lesson from Andrew Bull 's ascent at Andover-based Alku , one of the state's largest staffing firms. Mark Eldridge announced that Bull will succeed him as chief executive starting on Sept. 9, leading a team of 500-plus employees. Advertisement The company was much smaller when Bull joined about 15 years ago, first as an intern out of UMass Amherst, and then full-time as a recruiter. Most of Alku's executives today, Bull said, started in entry-level positions, just like he did. That's one reason Bull says he appreciates the outside guidance provided by private equity firm New Mountain Capital , which acquired a controlling stake in Alku in 2023. Eldridge will stick around as an adviser to the company he founded in 2008 and will serve as chairman. The timing of the announcement coincided with his 60th birthday. The business specializes in finding people to fill temporary assignments in life sciences and tech; Bull says the agency is considering whether to branch into recruiting for full-time, permanent placements, too. The firm's revenue could approach $600 million this year, though the staffing industry has retrenched in the past few years. As the sector contracts, Alku is gaining market share: Staffing Industry Analysts recently ranked Alku as the 41st largest based on US revenue, up from 57th the previous year, and behind only one Massachusetts-based agency, Beacon Hill Solutions Group . 'In my new hire orientation, I always say there's probably somebody here who will someday be certainly a vice president, or perhaps a president or CEO,' Bull said. 'I absolutely think that's within the cards. ... That's how the company has been built, from the bottom up.' Jon Chesto can be reached at
Axios
04-08-2025
- Business
- Axios
Wu blasts Kraft Group over "limited to no" details about soccer stadium impact
Mayor Michelle Wu called for the Kraft Group to "be real" and commit millions in mitigation funds for the proposed soccer stadium in Everett and Boston. Why it matters: The proposed New England Revolution stadium falls on a sliver of Boston property over the Alford Street Bridge, but as Wu and the Kraft Group head to mediation, local Democrats say the bulk of the traffic impact will fall on residents near Sullivan Square. The big picture: Sullivan Square residents say they want the stadium only if the Kraft Group makes necessary infrastructure improvements so the neighborhood can safely withstand the anticipated traffic impact. Catch up quick: The Kraft Group hasn't updated its original offer of $750,000 in mitigation funds for Boston — a number City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata called "an insult." Wu said the the city hasn't received detailed studies on the stadium's impact on traffic, noise, the environment and other areas that could affect Charlestown residents over the six meetings she's had with the developer. What they're saying: "We've even sent them templates, the examples from previous projects, to help say this is what they're looking for, to help make it possible for them to respond," Wu told reporters, near the Alford Street Bridge in Charlestown. "But we've received limited to no answers." The Kraft Group said it plans to address Wu's comments it in its own press conference this afternoon, but declined to elaborate beforehand. Between the lines: Wu didn't hesitate to make references to her rival, mayoral candidate Josh Kraft, during her remarks. She said the $750,000 the Kraft Group offered for mitigation funds is a fraction of what he would get in "allowance," calling Josh Kraft a "pre-approved owner in waiting." Kraft has previously said he's not involved in the Kraft Group's efforts to build the stadium and would recuse himself from negotiations if he were elected mayor. The campaign declined to comment when reached by email. Friction point: Wu declined to suggest a counteroffer, but she and other elected officials noted that Wynn Resorts paid $68 million in mitigation funds to build the Encore Boston Harbor casino. What we're watching: The parties have until the end of the year to reach a deal with help from mediators.
Boston Globe
21-07-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Wu administration steps up pressure for Revs stadium mitigation
'While these meetings have been cordial,' Shen wrote, referencing the negotiations, 'the information you have shared remains conceptual with none of the technical detail and analysis needed as a baseline to properly assess the impact of your proposal or negotiate a fair agreement for the City of Boston.' Shen emphasized to Bilello in the letter that addressing 'community mitigation is not optional, nor to be taken lightly.' Advertisement A spokesperson for the Kraft Group issued a statement saying that the company was surprised by the letter and that it is inconsistent with the positive tone and numerous productive discussions both sides have had since they started meeting in February. The Wu-Kraft discussions are happening amid a political backdrop: Wu is running for reelection this year, and her principal challenger is Josh Kraft, a former nonprofit executive whose father, Robert Kraft, is lead executive and owner of the Kraft Group and its two pro sports teams. Two of Josh Kraft's brothers are also top executives there. Josh Kraft had said he would recuse himself from any stadium discussions if elected. Advertisement The As part of The May 1 deadline came and went without an outside mediator participating. But now, judging from Shen's letter, that phase is imminent. In an attachment to the letter, the Wu administration outlines a series of concerns it would like to see addressed, or at least analyzed. They include: MBTA connections and capacity for those attending games and concerts, off-site parking options, the effects on water quality in the Mystic and Boston Harbor, flood resilience, noise impacts, and estimates of the number of construction and permanent jobs. Advertisement City officials also want a forecast of the impact that the nearly 25,000-seat stadium would have on rival concert venues in Boston — TD Garden, Fenway Park, and the Leader Bank Pavilion. (That's one of the issues that came up during the State House negotiations over the legislation.) Shen, in his letter, again draws a parallel between a mitigation agreement valued at $68 million Several of the questions that Shen raises presumably will be tackled by an outside consultant, Watertown-based VHB, that the Kraft Group has asked to address transportation and other related issues around the stadium, its construction, and future impact. 'Throughout this process the Kraft Group has operated in good faith and has supplied Boston with every piece of information the city has requested,' said Kraft Group spokesperson Anisha Chakrabarti. 'During our many meetings and conversations, representatives from Boston have not expressed these concerns with our process or with our efforts.' Chakrabarti added that Kraft Group executives are 'deeply disappointed that politics and grandstanding seem to have taken place over thoughtful analysis and collaboration. This simply impedes progress and economic development for the City of Everett, the City of Boston, and the Commonwealth.' Advertisement Jon Chesto can be reached at
