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Dive brief:
- The Kraft Group, owner of the New England Revolution soccer team, reached an agreement with the cities of Boston and Everett, Massachusetts, to move forward with construction of a new stadium with 24,000 seatsaccording to a statement.
- The project will cost a estimated at $500 millionaccording to the Boston Globe. It also includes a new 4-acre waterfront park along the Mystic River in Everett, according to a Kraft Group project sheet.
- Then green light to continue months of debate on whether Boston and Everett would approve the project, which is on the site of an abandoned power plant contaminated by the environment.
Diving knowledge:
The Kraft Group has long pushed for a new home in the area, as the Revolution are one of the only MLS teams operating without a soccer-specific stadium. The team currently shares Gillette Stadium in Foxborough with the NFL’s Patriots.
The plans include $80 million for the demolition of the disused power plant and subsequent rehabilitation of the site. This includes raising the site for coastal flood resilience, according to the project sheet.
Another $20 million will go toward the development of a waterfront park on the Mystic River adjacent to the Alford Street Bridge, which will include construction of a waterfront pedestrian and bicycle path.
“Under the agreements, we will undertake significant environmental remediation and the demolition of the long-vacant power plant, invest in major transit and transportation improvements, and provide substantial benefits to the community, including millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements,” the Kraft Group said in the statement. “The project will open up the waterfront with the creation of a new public park, strengthen pedestrian and bicycle connectivity and improve access to public transport.”
The waterfront park will be open to the general public year-round, according to the project fact sheet. Construction of the stadium and waterfront park will be privately funded.
The earliest the stadium could be ready for use is 2027, New England Revolution team president Brian Bilello told the Boston Globe.
