New England Revolution Stadium | 173 Alford Street | Boston-Everett

[stick n move]

There is also the Worcester line at Landsdowne station, and it's even a reasonable walk to Ruggles for Orange Line, and four more commuter lines. Fenway has much better transit access than the proposed Everett soccer stadium. But what we really need is a study. Everything we are all saying here is just semi-informed speculation.

Exactly, not only is there multiple different green line stations around, but also a commuter rail stop right at the ball park. Then you also have the mass pike, storrow, and route 9 right there too for the ppl who drive.

 

[palindrome]

Sidebar: I was having this discussion with someone in my class not too long ago and they brought up the notion that none of us probably think about but should. He said that “with police details at Fenway, Gillette and the Garden, taxpayers are paying for these stadiums in one form or another.”

Can’t speak for Gillette but at least at the Garden, as it relates to traffic control, police details are paid for by Delaware North.

 

[Charlie_mta]

Speaking of (a different) Gillette, how about building the stadium at the Gillette World Headquarters site on Fort Point Channel, if the Everett site doesn't get approval. The Gillette site is near the Broadway RL station.

 

[stellarfun]

In the Memorandum of Agreement between the city of Everett and the Kraft organization, the city commits to executing a separate MoA with Encore to prohibit soccer fans from parking in any of the casino's garages / lots. The Krafts are to pay for "a study and subsequent implementation of improved pedestrian infrastructure from the Sullivan Square MBTA station to the [stadium] site to ensure protected and efficient access,.............. subject to availability of funds"

I read the availability of funds as tied to the implementation phase, not the study.

Based on the MoA, the Krafts are not obliged to study other means or modes of transportation access

 

[Charlie_mta]

In the Memorandum of Agreement between the city of Everett and the Kraft organization, the city commits to executing a separate MoA with Encore to prohibit soccer fans from parking in any of the casino's garages / lots. The Krafts are to pay for "a study and subsequent implementation of improved pedestrian infrastructure from the Sullivan Square MBTA station to the [stadium] site to ensure protected and efficient access,.............. subject to availability of funds"

I read the availability of funds as tied to the implementation phase, not the study.

Based on the MoA, the Krafts are not obliged to study other means or modes of transportation access

Do the Krafts really need to? The MBTA has already studied extension of the Chelsea SL thru Everett, the pedestrian bridge crossing the Mystic Rive is already in the planning stage, and Boston has already published a plan for the Sullivan Square area roads.. Maybe a commuter rail infill station at the casino is the only item requiring further study?

 

[kingofsheeba]

Can’t speak for Gillette but at least at the Garden, as it relates to traffic control, police details are paid for by Delaware North.

It’s still public safety. Then the argument becomes “can those officers that are patrolling Garden be put to better use?” Especially with declining police enrollment rates, police officers are spread real thin.

 

[stellarfun]

Do the Krafts really need to? The MBTA has already studied extension of the Chelsea SL thru Everett, the pedestrian bridge crossing the Mystic Rive is already in the planning stage, and Boston has already published a plan for the Sullivan Square area roads.. Maybe a commuter rail infill station at the casino is the only item requiring further study?

The MoA does not reference any of these studies. Perhaps it should, but it doesn't The city could also be instructing Kraft to design pedestrian access that does not rely on one or more of these studies ever being implemented. The worst-case scenario. I will note that the city is allowing access to the site for vehicles transporting fans who are disabled; the minutiae is being covered..

At a congested pace of 400+ fans per minute, 25,000 fans could traverse Alford St in an hour. They'll need a much wider sidewalk though.

 

[BronsonShore]

Speaking of (a different) Gillette, how about building the stadium at the Gillette World Headquarters site on Fort Point Channel, if the Everett site doesn't get approval. The Gillette site is near the Broadway RL station.

Nope, not interested. The only major sports facilities that should be located in the CBD of a major city are indoor arenas, because they have a relatively small footprint and are used over 200 days a year, and baseball stadiums, because they're used at least 81-120 times a year and don't require parking lots to support a tailgating culture. The Gillette site needs to be a mixed-use development with lots of housing.

 

[ritchiew]

Nope, not interested. The only major sports facilities that should be located in the CBD of a major city are indoor arenas, because they have a relatively small footprint and are used over 200 days a year, and baseball stadiums, because they're used at least 81-120 times a year and don't require parking lots to support a tailgating culture. The Gillette site needs to be a mixed-use development with lots of housing.

Is the Gillette site part of the CBD?
Regardless, it's downtown, and I can just think of so many counter examples where downtown stadiums are fine. Like, most mid-sized or larger cities in Europe or South American have soccer stadiums right downtown. Beyond soccer, they end up hosting all kinds of other events, concerts, political rallies, whatever. They don't have to have massive parking for tailgating.

I can imagine a nice 25,000 seat stadium along Fort Point Channel. There are definitely ways that could go wrong, too, but it could be good.

 

[BronsonShore]

Is the Gillette site part of the CBD?
Regardless, it's downtown, and I can just think of so many counter examples where downtown stadiums are fine. Like, most mid-sized or larger cities in Europe or South American have soccer stadiums right downtown. Beyond soccer, they end up hosting all kinds of other events, concerts, political rallies, whatever. They don't have to have massive parking for tailgating.

I can imagine a nice 25,000 seat stadium along Fort Point Channel. There are definitely ways that could go wrong, too, but it could be good.

Yes, it could be “fine.” What it couldn’t be, is better than something that allows more people to live and work immediately adjacent to downtown Boston.

 

[BosDevelop]

indoor arenas, because they have a relatively small footprint and are used over 200 days a year,

Are there really 100+ non Bruins/Celtics events at the Garden each year?

 

[ritchiew]

Are there really 100+ non Bruins/Celtics events at the Garden each year?

Sure. There are 8 non-sports things scheduled for December. Over 12 months, that's 100. And it doesn't count the private events that don't end up on that schedule.

 

[kingofsheeba]

Sure. There are 8 non-sports things scheduled for December. Over 12 months, that's 100. And it doesn't count the private events that don't end up on that schedule.

Most of those events happen on weekends and are spread out so they’re not happening on weekends.

I think Boston is the only city in America that doesn’t want to be a city.

 

[Equilibria]

Sure. There are 8 non-sports things scheduled for December. Over 12 months, that's 100. And it doesn't count the private events that don't end up on that schedule.

I bet it's used almost nightly for something...

 

[DZH22]

Boston Garden event schedule is here. It's pretty packed for the next 5 months but then the calendar is almost empty. I assume a lot of that time will be filled, but that Celtics and Bruins playoff considerations have to take precedent.

Events | TD Garden

www.tdgarden.com

 

[kingofsheeba]

Joan Vennochi is the worst. How does she still have a job?

From the Globe:

There has been no robust public conversation around the overall merits of Robert Kraft’s plan to bring the New England Revolution to Greater Boston. While stadium proponents have met with select environmental groups, there has been no broad-based public debate over the specific terms of agreement between the Kraft Group and Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria.​

 

[stellarfun]

From Joan's column,

Meanwhile, Steve Tocco, of ML Strategies, who helped steer a casino to Everett, is working on behalf of Kraft, and public relations executive George Regan is advocating on behalf of DeMaria. A small piece of Boston land serves as the front door to the parcel — but no one involved in the stadium proposal reached out to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu until she expressed concerns about it. Since then, she and DeMaria have talked, and Tocco is now talking to city planners, too.

Those working behind the scenes on the deal say Kraft would pay between $50 million and $80 million to clean up the site and has committed to a raft of community benefits, including a waterfront park, community center, and a housing stabilization fund. The overall cost of the project is estimated at $600 million. No public money is being sought — for now.

The 25,000-seat soccer stadium could also be an outdoor concert venue. The chair of the CLF board, Sara Molyneaux, is married to veteran concert producer Don Law, the president of Live Nation-New England, who, according to people working on the stadium proposal, has some interest in restricting new concert venues. Asked about it, Campbell said, “There has been no discussion of this issue [concerts] with anyone on my board.” He added, “I’m quite confident in my own integrity.” People working on the stadium deal also point out that TD Garden and Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox principal owner John Henry owns The Boston Globe) might also have an interest in the emergence of another concert venue.

Photo courtesy of the Globe.

From the photo which looks to have been taken at high tide,, talk about a site that is vulnerable to sea level rise, and higher storm surges.

Where’s the public in the talks about Robert Kraft’s plan for a soccer stadium in Everett? - The Boston Globe

The public deserves the opportunity to get the full story on this stadium, from start to finish. So far, that hasn’t happened.

www.bostonglobe.com

 

[ritchiew]

Joan Vennochi is the worst. How does she still have a job?

From the Globe:

(good god don't make me take Joan Vennochi's side on something.....)

What about your quoted text is a problem? It seems factually accurate, and kind of a cause for concern.

So far these negotiations have ignored Boston even though the parcel is partially in Boston. They have also ignored the House, even though the House has to vote on whether to remove the "designated port area" zoning. I'll even concede that a "broad-based public debate" like Vennochi maybe has in mind is a terrible way to do regional planning. But so far the process has been so secretive that even primary stakeholders have been excluded.

 

[Equilibria]

From Joan's column,

Photo courtesy of the Globe.

From the photo which looks to have been taken at high tide,, talk about a site that is vulnerable to sea level rise, and higher storm surges.

Where’s the public in the talks about Robert Kraft’s plan for a soccer stadium in Everett? - The Boston Globe

The public deserves the opportunity to get the full story on this stadium, from start to finish. So far, that hasn’t happened.

www.bostonglobe.com

I don't think she's wrong, but given how bureaucratic and technical these negotiations have been to this point, I'm fine if her column (and others) start the robust public conversation at this point.

FWIW, until Kraft asks for public money, this is fundamentally a private business doing what it wants with its own property and its own money. The "robust public conversation" should be confined to official and ordinary channels of review, same as it would be for any other private development. Once Kraft starts asking for public dollars, that changes, but we shouldn't have a referendum on individual private developments.

 

[sm89]

This doesn't feel as "wrong" as some people make it out to be. Asking the state to change the zoning to allow this sort of use is the start of this process. It would be a waste of time to have a huge public conversation before determining if the idea of a stadium is even possible.