Largely pro-soccer stadium crowd turns out for community meeting
By Cary Shuman
City officials and residents participated in a “Community Conversation” about the potential 25,000-seat soccer stadium project with Mayor Carlo DeMaria and Sen. Sal DiDomenico Monday night in the Council Chambers.
When all was said and done following the marathon three-hour session, it was evident that the proceedings were a clear-cut triumph for DeMaria, who is seeking to bring a professional soccer stadium across from the world-class Encore Boston Harbor resort/casino that is generating approximately $40 million annually for Everett, and DiDomenico, the powerful assistant majority leader who is considered the champion of a new soccer stadium in the city that will be built on the site of a former power plant.
The capacity crowd in the Chambers that consisted of residents and trade union workers was energized and responded with applause when construction jobs, the replacement of the blighted power plant site, and the prospect of jobs at the new stadium were mentioned by speakers.
DeMaria had obviously done his homework on the jobs issue, knowing that in-stadium vendors at Fenway Park can earn significant funds in those part-time positions on game days.
There were concerns raised about the fact of the stadium only having 75 on-site parking spaces. But DeMaria portrayed that aspect in a positive light, reasoning that soccer fans would use public transportation and make the relatively short walk to the stadium from nearby Sullivan Station. DeMaria also highlighted plans for a new commuter rail stop in Everett (a plan that Encore Boston Harbor has agreed to support financially, according to the mayor) a Silver Bus Line extension, a proposed pedestrian footbridge from Assembly Row in Somerville to Everett, and the usage of satellite parking lots, from which shuttle buses would transport fans to the stadium.
A per-game ticket fee could potentially raise millions of dollars in revenue for the city. DeMaria also said that he will ensure that a certain number of tickets for Revolution games and concerts at the new stadium be available for purchase by Everett residents.
DeMaria had a cordial interaction with Everett resident Peggy Serino, who spoke against the construction of the soccer stadium, preferring another redevelopment project for the site such as a new hotel.
“We’re going to negotiate something that is really beneficial to the City of Everett and clean up the blighted, contaminated power plant,” said DeMaria. “Do you think that someone else would come and spend over $700 million of their own money and use union labor to do that work, and clean that up and build a waterfront park, and run a water taxi service?”
There was a fiery exchange between Ward 6 Councilor Peter Pietrantonio, who has become a voice of reason and clarity in his first term on the Council, and Sen. DiDomenico during the meeting.
Pietrantonio began his remarks by turning to the union workers in the audience and stating that he favors a construction project on the site, “we just don’t like the idea of a stadium. We want to build, we just don’t want a stadium.”
Pietrantonio said, “Twenty-five thousand-seat stadium, 75 parking spots, I just don’t understand it.”
Then came the most surprising revelation of the entire meeting: the fact that the Everett City Council had never asked Sen. DiDomenico to speak at a Council meeting since the soccer stadium plan was first hatched by DiDomenico more than two years ago. Basically, the undisputed champion of the soccer stadium project has gone uninvited.
“I have offered to come speak to the City Council at any point,” DiDomenico told Pietrantonio point blank. “I find it a little offensive, honestly, that you will say that there was no input or no communication, when the Council had every opportunity to have me come and speak on this issue, and they did not do it.”
DiDomenico said he was “sick and tired” of the current conditions at the site of the shuttered power plant site. “I’m sick and tired of having this blighted piece of property in our community,” said DiDomenico. “We have no one waiting in line to come and save the day for us.”
Pietrantonio challenged the senator on the topic of pollution in the area. “I have lived two seconds from Monsanto. I played on the GE property, so you don’t have to tell me about pollution. I want that power plant gone and cleaned up. Do you think I want that to sit there? I want it gone and cleaned up, just as much as you do, Senator, alright?”
Councilors speak at the meeting
Ward 5 Councilor Robert Van Campen suggested to DeMaria and DiDomenico that the soccer stadium construction issue be decided by residents in a ballot question in November.
Van Campen illuminated on the matter in an interview with WCVB-TV Channel 5, stating, “Many residents have come to me and many residents have indicated this is such a potentially transformative project for the community, it probably is something that should be put on the ballot.”
DiDomenico later responded to Van Campen’s request for a referendum, stating, “The time when you see voting on stadiums is when public dollars are going to be used. There’s no public dollars on this project at all (The Kraft Group will entirely fund the project).
Council President Stephanie Martins told WCVB Channel 5 after the meeting, “I would love to hear more feedback from the people of Everett and more participation before we’re just moving forward with the process that’s no one hearing about.”
Meanwhile, Councilor-at-Large Katy Rogers, who called for the community meeting, expressed her hope that the new soccer stadium could be used for Everett High School graduation exercises, an idea that seemed to resonate favorably with the audience.