New England Revolution

What you need to know about a possible Revolution stadium in Everett following Mass. Senate’s bill

The process is far from over, and now enters to a critical period of time before a legislative deadline on July 31.

By Hayden Bird

July 12, 2024

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The Massachusetts Senate voted just before midnight on Thursday (July 11) to pass an expansive $2.86 billion economic development bill (S.2856) which — among many other things — includes language that helps clear a path for a possible Revolution stadium to be built on the Everett waterfront.

The bill was deliberated over for much of Thursday, as senators considered more than 500 amendments before finally voting 40-0 in favor of its passage. The Revolution-specific details had already been included in the Senate’s version of the bill in Section 166, the entirety of which had originally been a standalone bill (S.2692) proposed by State Senator Sal DiDomenico (whose constituency includes Everett) in December, 2023.

The bill’s passage by the Senate is not the end of the legislative process, nor does it mean (even if signed into law) that a Revolution stadium is definitely going to be built at the proposed 173 Alford Street site, currently the location of a decommissioned power plant on the Mystic River.

Here’s an overview of where the bill now stands following the Senate’s vote, and what it actually means in the larger conversation around the local soccer team’s latest attempt to build a Boston-area stadium:

What exactly does the Senate’s version of the bill mean for a possible Revolution stadium?

Section 166 of bill S.2856 does not authorize the Revolution to build a stadium. Instead, it removes a specific zoning designation known as a “Designated Port Area” (DPA) that currently prevents any non-industrial usage of the area (which includes the 43-acre parcel of land the team is interested in).

A DPA specifically protects “land and water areas with certain physical and operational features that have been reserved by the Commonwealth for maritime-industrial uses” from being developed for other uses (including a possible stadium).

Essentially, this move only gets the Revolution — as team president Brian Billelo put it at a hearing in April — “to the starting line.”

Here’s the opening paragraph of Section 166, describing the removal of the DPA and clearing a path for a stadium and waterfront park:

Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, a certain parcel of land located at 173 Alford street situated partly in the city of Everett and partly in the city of Boston shall be removed from and not be considered to be within the boundaries or a part of the Mystic River designated port area pursuant to 310 C.M.R. 25 and 310 C.M.R. 9 or any other applicable law, rule or regulation to convert the parcel into a professional soccer stadium and a waterfront park.

The removal of the DPA is finite: If the team fails to build the stadium within a “reasonable time” following the act’s passage, the language of the bill will be voided and the area will be reclassified as a DPA once again.

The “reasonable time” will be determined by the state’s secretary of energy and environmental affairs. In addition, “such determination of a reasonable time period shall not be made earlier than 5 years after the effective date of this act,” ensuring the Revolution have an extended timeline to complete the project.

An additional part of Section 166 also provides for regulatory review by the Mass. Department of Environmental Protection and the Mass. Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM).

Where does the bill go from here?

Passage through the Senate is far from the end of the political process, as the stadium-specific language was not in the original House version of the bill (H.4804), which was passed in June.

Because of the changes made in the Senate’s version, the two proposals must now be reconciled in Conference Committee.

This will consist of three members from both House and Senate (including one member each from the minority party). They will attempt to work out a compromise version of the bill before the end of the Mass. legislature’s “Formal Session” on July 31.

Once agreed to in Conference Committee, the compromise bill will then head for final votes in each chamber. If passed, it will head to Gov. Maura Healey’s desk for signing. The Governor has 10 days to review it before either signing or vetoing. She can also veto specific line items, and submit her own changes as an amendment for the legislature to reconsider.

So…will the stadium eventually be built?

The Revolution stadium proposal in Everett has been at this stage before in both 2022 and 2023, though in different versions.

In 2022, the House included language regarding the removal of the Mystic River DPA that was tucked into an amendment as part of a sprawling $4 billion economic development bill, but its passage stalled as the House and Senate failed to come to agreement before the July 31 formal session deadline amid intense pushback from the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF).

In 2023, the reverse was the case: The Senate included the stadium-DPA language in its version of a supplemental budget in November, but the House did not. In the midst of a much larger budgetary battle, lawmakers chose to exclude the stadium-related provision from its final compromise version.

With that context in mind, will the third time be the charm for the Revolution’s hopes in Everett?

Given the enormous ramifications of building a Boston-area professional sports stadium — a feat that has not been accomplished in over 100 years — the political implications are correspondingly difficult to fully predict.

The Revolution’s dream of an Everett stadium could run into several opponents. The CLF continues to be against the project, despite Sen. DiDomenico’s efforts to bring them to the table.

The stadium could also face major Boston opposition in the form of both Mayor Michelle Wu and State Representative Aaron Michlewitz, whose district includes TD Garden. Wu, according to Jon Chesto of The Boston Globe, “expressed surprise and disappointment about being left out of negotiations between the Kraft Group and the city of Everett over a stadium that would sit on Boston’s doorstep” during the 2023 attempt.

Michlewitz, a potential candidate to become the next Mass. Speaker of the House, noted in Nov. 2023 that “TD Garden definitely had weighed in in terms of the conversation.” The opposition could come in the form of TD Garden opposing the installation of another concert venue in such close proximity.

And even if the bill is signed by Healey into law, it only represents the first of many steps required to one day build a stadium.

“Let me be clear: We are not looking to avoid the public process,” Bilello said at the April hearing, referencing the need to win over support in Everett.

Along with achieving local approval, the Revolution would still need to actually reach agreement to build on the land owned by Wynn Resorts (which purchased it in 2023 from Constellation Energy for $25 million).

And as it’s the site of a former power plant, there would be significant costs (reportedly $100 million) to decontaminate the site. The full cost of the stadium project from start to finish has been listed at $500 million, with Revolution owner Robert Kraft signaling that he would fund the project without public money.

Additional questions, especially regarding the local parking situation as well as public transportation availability, would need to be addressed before the 25,000-seater stadium could finally be built.

In total, many hurdles remain before the Revolution could potentially achieve the club’s decades-long pursuit of a soccer-specific stadium. And yet, the effort in 2024 appears to have more public political support than any of the previous attempts.

What are they saying about the current bill?

Both Sen. DiDomenico and Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria — who have been vocal proponents of the stadium project — released statements following the senate’s passage of the bill.

Per DiDomenico:

I am happy that this legislation is moving forward. This will help my community clean up a power plant site that has been a health and environmental hazard for decades. This language will allow the public process to move forward on a project that will be an economic catalyst and environmental win for our residents. This will open up the possibility for hundreds of millions of dollars in private investment, cleanup of a hazardous waste site, create good paying union jobs, and open our waterfront for the public to enjoy. I want to thank Senate President Spilka and Chair Rodrigues for their support and I look forward to advocating for this change until it is signed into law.

And here’s DeMaria’s statement:

I applaud the passing of the Senate’s economic development bill with Senator DiDomenico’s language that will open the door for a new professional soccer stadium to be built in Everett on a blighted parcel of land where the former Mystic Generating Station currently stands. We now have the opportunity to entertain a proposal for the construction of a 25,000 seat, state of the art stadium surrounded by beautiful parks and green spaces for city residents and the public to enjoy. Along with the success of the Encore Casino, this new stadium will allow us to promote Everett, not only as a local destination, but as a worldwide destination for sports, culture and entertainment.