Sen. Sal DiDomenico’s bill that would ultimately bring a state-of-the-art professional soccer stadium to Everett across from the Encore Boston Harbor Hotel has advanced to the next step in the legislative process.
DiDomenico’s legislation on changing the designation of a land parcel in Everett has received the support of his colleagues in the Senate and will be brought to the Senate floor.
The new stadium would be the home of the New England Revolution, the Major League Soccer (MLS) team owned by the Kraft Group. A new waterfront park would also be part of the exciting project.
DiDomenico’s initial “victory” on his bill is considered optimistic news for the City of Everett. The bill’s progress arrives as DiDomenico celebrates his 14th anniversary as a state senator on May 20. The Senate’s assistant majority leader, DiDomenico feels the soccer stadium/waterfront park project would be “an economic win and an environmental win for our city and the entire region.”
“This [stadium and waterfront park] would bring a tremendous number of jobs, open space, clean up a hazardous waste site at no cost to the state, and provide an economic catalyst for the area,” said DiDomenico.
The thought of having New England’s foremost resort/casino (the five-star Encore Boston Harbor) and hosting the region’s only men’s professional soccer team in Everett would be a spectacular 1-2 punch for the city. The popularity of soccer in the area continues to grow (superstar Lionel Messi drew a record-setting 65,000 fans to an April 27 Revs’ game in Foxboro and the World Cup is coming to Gillette Stadium in 2026), meaning that there is little doubt that Revolution home games would be sold out at a sparkling, state-of-the-start stadium in Everett.
“I appreciate the favorable report from the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies on Senator DiDomenico’s bill that would allow a formal proposal for a professional soccer stadium to be submitted for consideration and be subject to multiple public processes so all interested parties would have a formal opportunity to share their comments and any concerns,” said Mayor DeMaria. “I will continue my efforts to share with legislators how important it is to Everett’s economic future to be able to attract private funds to invest in the significant cleanup for the site and create new jobs, access to the waterfront and new local revenue options for Everett.”