Bill To Allow MLS Stadium In Everett Reignites Waterfront Debate

A vision for a new professional soccer stadium in Everett became one step closer to reality Tuesday, with the first public hearing on state legislation that would make way for a project from The Kraft Group, owner of Major League Soccer's New England Revolution and the NFL's New England Patriots. 

The hearing was a chance for public officials and residents to voice their support and concerns about removing a 150-year-old designation on a plot of land on Everett's waterfront to allow for stadium development. And it was the first time Kraft and Revolution executives publicly discussed the proposal. 

"We welcome the opportunity to explore if it's feasible to develop what has been a rundown, unused site for a long time and turn it into an economic driver for the region," Revolution President Brian Bilello said at the hearing, held at the State House by the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. 

The proposal has reignited a debate over whether to preserve the maritime industrial use of the land, which is one of many Designated Port Areas in the state, or open the door for new economic development opportunities to a community that has historically been barred from doing so.

"No one came to our rescue, no one was there by Everett's side to right the wrongs of what has happened to my community for decades," State Sen. Sal DiDomenico, who represents Everett, said at the hearing. "This is the first step. There is no second step to lifting the DPA."

The bill, filed by DiDomenico in November, would remove the 43-acre Mystic River power plant site from the state's DPA designation, which only permits maritime industrial uses to be developed.

Removing the designation would allow The Kraft Group's proposed New England Revolution soccer stadium to be built on the site, which sits less than 3 miles from Downtown Boston. 

"Passage of this legislation is critical because the Designated Port Area currently prohibits the stadium from being built on the site, and there is effectively no way to modify the DPA for the purpose of the stadium without this legislation," said Ted Fire, vice president of construction and development at The Kraft Group.  

The project would include a 25,000-seat stadium, a 4-acre park along the Mystic River and up to 75 parking spots. The stadium would replace the shuttered Mystic Generating station.

"There are some people who would lead you to believe that this bill is about a soccer stadium, or that it's being driven by a professional sports organization. But that is misleading," Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria said at the hearing. "This legislation is about the financial harm that Everett is already suffering from the dwindling value and outdated environmental nuisance."

Wynn Resorts, which developed Everett's Encore Boston Harbor casino, acquired a majority of the property for $25M in March. Chris Gordon, president of Wynn Resorts' development arm, spoke in favor of the bill on Tuesday.

"A private entity is interested in cleaning up the site, opening up the waterfront for public enjoyment, engaging with the pump in the local community and creating a landmark tourist attraction," he said. "This kind of opportunity does not happen often."

The site and the proposed stadium are just the latest in the city's efforts to transform its industrial landscape to introduce new economic development.

Developers like Greystar have begun to redevelop the city's 93-acre downtown district, known as the Commercial Triangle, with new housing developments. So far, the developer has invested $730M into the city, and more than 1,900 units are online or under construction.

V10 Development has also taken up development in the city with over 1,300 units under construction, including a nearly 600-unit Rivergreen Park development on the Malden River.

This same development has slowly crept onto the city's waterfront, which has historically been closed off to residents due to the industrial space that has called it home for decades.

In December, The Davis Cos. acquired a 100-acre fuel tank parcel from ExxonMobil for $73M. The development firm plans to build a massive mixed-use project on the site after it goes through remediation.

The major hurdle to developing Everett's waterfront has been the DPA designation, which has sparked heated debate over whether to preserve it for modern industrial uses like clean energy or remove it to make way for other economic development opportunities.

In the state, 10 designated port areas exist in Gloucester, Salem, Lynn, Everett, Chelsea, East Boston, South Boston, Weymouth, New Bedford and Somerset, protecting hundreds of acres of waterfront land.

These DPAs were put in place to maintain waterfront land to be used for heavy industrial, and in more recent years, clean energy and wind turbines. In other cities and towns, the ports are being used to boost Gov. Maura Healey's investments in offshore wind and cleantech. The state is helping generate 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy nationally and has a goal to create almost 30,000 clean energy jobs by 2030.

Conservation Law Foundation Senior Attorney Maggie Sullivan argued at the hearing that with the emergence of cleantech and climatetech industries, the state should consider those before removing the designation.

"We need working ports to reach these goals," Sullivan said. "We need to make sure port needs are met elsewhere."