Wu administration pushing back on CBA for proposed pro soccer stadium

Mayor, Senator still hopeful for resolution before Dec. 31^st deadline

By Neil Zolot

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and her administration are expressing concern about how The Kraft Group’s proposed soccer stadium in Everett will affect parking, traffic and other issues in their city. As a result, negotiations between Boston and The Kraft Group have only had limited progress in crafting a mitigation plan. An initial offer of $750,000 from The Kraft Group primarily for improving athletic fields in Charlestown was deemed unacceptable.

The proposed site is a 43.1-acre parcel on Alford Street, across Lower Broadway from the Encore casino and across the Mystic River from Charlestown. It is presently home to a nonoperational power plant, formerly operated by Constellation Energy, that closed in 2020. Although the site is in Everett, Boston is a party to negotiations for a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA), because of the presumed impact on Charlestown because it is the closest Boston neighborhood to Everett.

A letter from the Boston Planning Department included a multi-page attachment on mitigation measures Boston is seeking, including MBTA connectivity, off-site parking options and an analysis of economic impacts a new 25,000-seat stadium in Everett could have on competing concert venues in Boston like TD Garden and Fenway Park.

“I’m hopeful we’ll get a resolution,” said State Senator Sal DiDomenico, who represents Everett, Cambridge and Charlestown. “The timeline is still in effect. Mediation will be happening soon, if not now.”

Despite representing those areas, he is not involved in negotiations, “by design,” he said. “My job was to get it to this point.”

Mayor Carlo DeMaria and the members of his team are not part of the negotiations between The Kraft Group and Revolution Soccer and the City of Boston. He declined comment, but reported, “Conversations with representatives of the Krafts and Revolution Soccer have been cordial and respectful. Representatives of the Kraft Group and Revolution Soccer understand the importance of this potential stadium to our community and the opportunities it creates to advance public transit-oriented development, sustainable construction practices on a project using union labor, the creation of job opportunities for Everett residents, and access to open space and a clean waterfront for the first time in our lifetime and for generations to come. While the details of the community impact agreement with Everett are not finalized, I remain confident that both sides will continue to work towards an agreement that allows the project to proceed in a way that will bring important positive benefits to our city and our residents.”

“Everett fully agrees with Boston that mitigation pertaining to the community and transportation improvements are a must,” local Planning Director Matt Lattanzi said. “Getting patrons in and out of the area safely, effectively, and without a reliance on single-occupant vehicles is one of the highest priorities in ensuring a successful project. As for specific mitigation proposals and Boston’s opposition to those drafted thus far, any agreed-upon mitigation proposals were drafted as part of the State’s legislation to remove the parcel from the DPA. These conditions were made public during the years-long legislative process and were championed by legislators representing both Boston and Everett. Importantly, the CBA that accompanied the aforementioned legislation notes clearly that ‘any items stipulated within the CBA section shall serve as material elements of the final CBA, with a full understanding by the parties that additional items will be negotiated into the final CBA.’ So, the door has been intentionally kept open for additional discussion and advocacy for further mitigation proposals.”

Looming over all this is a December 31 deadline. If a CBA is not finalized by then, the parties will be required to enter binding arbitration. At a community forum at the Connolly Center in Everett on April 30 attended by the Krafts, suggestions from residents included that the CBA have provisions for the stadium facilities being available for sports banquets as well as games, traffic calming measures being introduced and bike lanes protected and a ticket surcharge to create a medical trust fund for people in need.

A CBA, however, is not approval of a stadium. It merely allows the classification of the land as a Designated Port Area (DPA) to be lifted to pave the way for a specific proposal, which would be subject to standard project reviews.

The current proposal includes only 75 parking spaces on the site, based on the idea that patrons will use public transportation to attend events because there is little parking. Enhancements and improvements are planned for public transportation, including bus and subway lines, and facilities to accommodate attendees of New England Revolution soccer games, concerts and visitor parking for which room will be available because the stadium must be set back from the coastline.

Another wrinkle is Josh Kraft, son of Revolution and New England Patriots football team owner Robert Kraft, running for Mayor of Boston. That could create conflicts of interest or appearances of conflicts of interest, although Josh Kraft has said he would not participate in negotiations in accordance with ethics guidelines.

There are a number of people who object to having a stadium at all and others who think the issue should be a ballot question in November, which came up at a community forum on March 31 and a City Council meeting on April 14, as well as April 30. The deadline for a ballot question to be introduced is 120 days before the November 4 election, which was July 2.

“I’m in favor of cleaning up the area and having something that will complement the casino,” said Ward 1 Councillor Wayne Matewsky, in whose ward the site is located. “As soon as it’s cleaned up, it will be an asset to the community if the Host Agreement is positive for the community. I’m looking forward to something going in there with a rock solid Host Agreement.”

He also feels, “The project has to be sold to the public but has not been sold properly.”

“We’ll wait and see what develops,” Hanlon said in a resigned tone.