THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, ApRil 4, 2025 Page 11 SOCCER STADIUM | FROM PAGE 9 Erin Deveney, explained. “Generally speaking, and not specific to the stadium project specifically, developers seek PILOTs for financial relief for the investment made in projects while at the same time agreeing to a stream of revenue to support that community through the payments made under such agreements.” However, everything is still subject to negotiation. Some people in the audience spoke against the project or voiced concerns about parking and traffic. “A 25,000-seat stadium with only 75 parking spaces; I just don’t get it,” Ward 6 Councillor Peter Pietrantonio said. He was one of many councillors in attendance. They did not convene a meeting and waited in line along with others to ask questions and make comments during the forum. “We did this so no one would be able to bring a vehicle,” DeMaria answered. “There’ll be a lot of public transportation down there,” a reference to new bus lines and transit stations. Pietrantonio continued, “We want to build, we just don’t want a stadium.” “What goes there?” DiDomenico asked. “I’ll leave it up to you. You’re the brains,” Pietrantonio answered. “When people speak, they can’t say the people of Everett don’t want this stadium,” Eamon Kernan said in reference to the support for the stadium in the room. He also said his family lives near a major soccer stadium in Ireland easily accessible by public transportation and he works for the state Department of Transportation and feels the transportation enhancements will work. “At the end of the day, I believe this will be something the people of Everett will be happy about,” DeMaria interjected. “There are serious problems and the Krafts are the only ones who have stepped up to clean the site,” DiDomenico answered when asked about the cleanup of the site. “I believe this is our best opportunity to get the area cleaned up,” DeMaria added. “They’re spending close to $1 billion of their own money with no subsidies. I’d rather see the companies that polluted the land clean it up, but that’s long gone.” “Why is the answer to a cleanup build, build, build?” resident Jeff Parente asked. “Nature can come back on its own.” He also said that any jobs generated by construction and operation of the stadium should “have livable wages so people can afford to live in the city.” Parente and others said the proposal should be a ballot question. “I don’t see why this can’t come up for a vote,” he said. “I don’t like the idea of multimillionaires coming into our city and telling us what to do with our land. Most people here seem to be on your side. You shouldn’t be worried about a vote.” “People have said to put it on the ballot,” Ward 5 Councillor Robert Van Campen added. “I believe it will make people feel better. It has support. I believe people will approve it.” DeMaria answered that with a December 31 deadline to craft a CBA, it might not be possible to put it on a November ballot. “Historically, private developments have not been voted on in this community,” DiDomenico added. “The only time you see voting on a stadium is when public dollars are involved. There are no public dollars involved.” Councillor-at-Large Michael Marchese said he is in favor of the project, but would “like to see the revenue stream trickle down to the people of Everett.”
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