The Krafts are “exploring” the possibility of building a new soccer stadium in South Boston, sources with knowledge of the family’s search tell the Boston Globe.
The rumored site, according to the Globe, sits adjacent to I-93 on Frontage Road, in between the highway and an MBTA maintenance facility. It would be just a short walk away from South Station and the West Broadway Red Line T stop, about a five minutes walk from the South End.
“We are currently developing concepts for how a soccer stadium for the Revolution can benefit the greater Boston area. Once we have more developed plans, we will comment further,” a Kraft family spokesperson told the Globe Monday.
The Frontage Road parcel is city-owned. The New England Patriots and Revolution owners have been in talks with city and state officials for a few months now, the Globe reports, citing anonymous sources. Talks in general have been in regards to building the Revs new home in Boston, but the Krafts have targeted Frontage Rd. – specifically.
A new soccer stadium would cost about $100 million. Building it in a city – not necessarily Boston (Cc: City of Somerville) – would “help bring the Revolution closer to the young urban fans who are driving [Major League Soccer’s] growth,” the Globe reports.
Billionaire owner Bob Kraft, one source told the Globe, would like to see the stadium completed in five years. If built, the Southie soccer stadium could butt heads with plans to build a bigger stadium in the area for the potential 2024 Boston Olympics.
A smaller stadium for the Revs, team president Brian Bilello previously told the Globe, would allow the team to sell pricey premium seating.
Per an earlier BostInno report by Hayden Bird:
The Olympic Stadium would only need to seat 60,000, instead of 80,000 (recently altered by the International Olympic Committee). Initial plans have it being built in Widett Circle in South Boston. Gillette Stadium can’t be used because it isn’t possible to install an Olympic track inside. The constructed stadium would be “temporary,” and pieces of it would be sold after the Games, like London 2012.
The United States Olympic Committee is expected to decide in the next couple of months whether to submit a host-city bid for the 2024 Summer Games; Boston is on an extremely short list of potential cities, all of which could be getting the nod from the USOC. The International Olympic Committee will choose a 2024 host city in 2017.
Photo via Luciof/CC BY-SA 3.0
