Massachusetts’ legislature is poised to allow the development of a soccer stadium in Everett — but there’s concern across the river in Boston.
It's a long-awaited goal that's finally taking a step forward — but Massachusetts lawmakers' agreement to remove a zoning restriction on a former factory in Everett doesn't mean a Kraft family-funded stadium for the New England Revolution will crop up tomorrow.
State Sen. Sal DiDomenico has long championed the Everett project, framing it as a critical economic lifeline for an overlooked community.
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"From a power plant to a state-of-the-art facility with hundreds of jobs," said DiDomenico said. "Hopefully, in two or three years, I hope to be cutting a ribbon at the site."
But clearing this legislative hurdle is just one piece of the overall process. Extended public debate and an agreement between Everett and the City of Boston are required — Charlestown residents brought up the traffic, already bad without soccer fans flocking to the area.
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Those concerns are shared by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.
"The project, at this scale, needs to make sure it's reinforcing safety in transportation access," she said.
Those details will need to be ironed out before bulldozers or shovels dig into the mystic river shoreline.
"That's part of the language in the agreement," state Senate President Karen Spilka noted.
The soccer stadium proposal is part of a broader economic development bill which is set to be voted on by the Massachusetts House this week.
