Mayor Michelle Wu blasted the Kraft Group’s proposal for constructing a stadium in Everett to host the New England Revolution, calling their mitigation supply to Boston an “unserious proposal” — criticisms the Revolution’s president and Everett mayor pushed again towards.
“This Kraft Group offer does not come close to reflecting the strain the stadium would place on our infrastructure, our transportation systems and on our neighborhoods,” mentioned Wu. “Boston residents deserve better. We deserve a responsive proposal that positions this new stadium as a regional point of pride and delivers the benefits that our city and all the Revs fans would expect.”
Wu, together with State Consultant Dan Ryan, Metropolis Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata, and native leaders, gathered early Monday morning in Charlestown throughout the water from the stadium’s proposed web site in Everett.
In the course of the press occasion, Wu mentioned the the Kraft group had not modified their supply to Boston for bills associated to the stadium’s location bordering the town. Boston has been concerned in months of mitigation plans with the Kraft Group, homeowners of the New England Revolution, and floor can’t be damaged on the stadium till an settlement is reached.
The privately-funded 25,000-seat stadium is slotted to be constructed on 43 acres of land alongside the Mystic River in Everett, dwelling now to a defunct energy plant that loomed behind Wu through the press convention.
Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria and Revs President Brian Bilello later held a press convention to reply to Wu’s claims on the proposed web site in Everett Monday afternoon.
“From the very start of this process, since that first meeting in February, our team has met with the city over half a dozen times, and throughout the entire process, I can only describe the tenor and tone of those cooperative and cordial,” mentioned Bilello. “So you can understand why it’s upsetting and frustrating to us that the only thing being said publicly about these meetings is negative.”
Wu mentioned the group’s supply of $750,000 to the town is a “non-starter,” noting it’s “just 1.1% of the $68 million mitigation package that was paid for the Everett casino project right nearby years ago.”
“$750,000 is just one and a half months of a billionaire son’s allowance,” mentioned Wu. “It is nowhere near the scale of what we need to address the plans that have already been laid out by our residents, with our traffic engineers, with the coordination of the entire region.”
Wu mentioned the town is looking for a “clear plan for transportation that keeps pressure off already congested transit and roads;” “commitments to noise and climate mitigation … a workforce plan that reflects our values, local hiring, supplier, diversity and fair wages;” and, “a neighborhood level analysis that shows who stands to benefit from the stadium and who will bear its costs.”
“It’s important to know, and you can see from right here that the residential impact is going to be on Charlestown and not on Everett, because their residents live way far away,” Wu mentioned, indicating the realm throughout the river. “This has been an industrial area for them for a very long time.”
The Everett mayor pushed again on the concept Everett residents wouldn’t be topic to the impacts of the stadium.
“I know of residents that live right a block away from here, so the impacts would be felt of cars coming to the facility,” mentioned DeMaria. “There’s not going to be any cars.”
DeMaria referenced transportation updates to the realm, together with a undertaking constructing a footbridge from Meeting Row, plans to convey the Silver Line to Everett, plans to construct an area Commuter Rail cease and extra.
Bilello mentioned the Kraft Group has been working to offer the town info, stating they’re typically “starting from scratch with these studies” and taking extra time.
“Anytime we’ve been asked to provide information, we’ve provided it, and in case we didn’t have the information, we’ve launched a study to get the information,” mentioned Bilello. “The city is well aware of this, and we are working currently on a number of studies on traffic and mitigation.”
The Rev’s president added they “look forward to re-engaging with the city’s team and hopefully moving the process forward.”
Wu said the Boston representatives “wanted to make sure that the public got some information about what was happening and where the position of the city is before we begin mediation.”
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