A long-awaited goal to bring a soccer stadium to Everett, Massachusetts, is in the final stretch -- it's included in an economic development bill that's being voted on Thursday.
We’ve got a rare November formal session for the Legislature here at the State House. Both the Senate and House are expected to vote on that $4 billion economic development bill.
As part of that bill, state lawmakers would remove a zoning restriction on a former factory site in Everett, clearing the way for the Kraft family funded soccer stadium to potentially become a reality. If built, it would become the new home for the New England Revolution.
Several lawmakers see it as a win for the Revolution and the community.
“From a power plant to a state-of-the-art facility with hundreds of jobs, cleaning up a power plant site that’s been polluting my residents for decades," said Sen. Sal DiDomenico, assistant majority leader.
“Open up the coast for some more recreation, and clean it up, and economic development for both building it, and then keeping it going as a stadium," Senate President Karen Spilka added.
But some who live near the future stadium site are blowing the whistle on what they say are some potential problems with the project.
“We've already got so much traffic backed up through the circle here, thanks to the Encore and the bridge and everything else, I think it would make us in a lot worse situation," one resident said.
“I can’t imagine what it would be like on game day with the same infrastructure," another said.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said it's important that Boston is part of the conversation around making this pitch work for everyone involved.
“The project does, at this scale, need to make sure that it’s reinforcing safety in the transportation access and other impacts that it could have and managing the flow of major events that will come through," she said.
The House and Senate will be meeting in their respective chambers starting at 11 a.m. Thursday, with votes likely on this economic development bill. But even if approved on Beacon Hill, there will still need to be public hearings and agreements with Everett and Boston.
