THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, ApRil 4, 2025 Page 9 ESTATE SALE Sunday, April 6 1:00 - 6:00 PM 3 Hadley Ct., Everett Over 100 residents along with union members were in attendance in the City Council Chamber on Monday night for the community meeting about the proposed professional soccer stadium. (Advocate photo by Neil Zolot) SOCCER STADIUM | FROM PAGE 2 will be done. It’s not just talk. It’s going to happen.” “We’ll figure out things that make sense for the stadium and the community,” Transportation Director Jay Monty, who was sitting beside DeMaria and DiDomenico, said. DiDomenico explained the legislative process that led to the proposal for a 25,000-seat soccer stadium and concert venue on a 43.1-acre parcel on Alford Street across Lower Broadway from the casino and across the Mystic River from Charlestown, including an economic development bill, S.2692, that will lift the land’s classification as a Designated Port Area (DPA) when Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs) are crafted with Everett and Boston. That will trigger the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) process and local site plan review on the actual construction of the stadium. “We spent the last two years refining the legislation,” he said. “It doesn’t refer to the soccer stadium, it’s about the DPA. It said to lift the DPA to allow us to explore the possibility of a soccer stadium. There’ll be several ways for the community to be engaged in this. There will be ample opportunities to be involved. Nothing is pending. This is just the beginning.” The legislation, titled An Act relative to economic development on the Mystic River, also mandates a project be completed within five years of its signing, which is November 2029. A stadium is a preferred option, in part due to input from environmental groups, like Conservation Law Foundation, which lobbied for a use that would benefit the community and against condominiums people in Everett couldn’t afford. It includes provisions for consultation between the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the Office of Coastal Zone Management to take resilience to coastal flood damage into consideration, but DiDomenico also said he is disappointed that the environmental lobbyists have withdrawn from the process. “Groups came to us and said we had to get this done,” he said. “They were adamant about getting something signed before the DPA was lifted, but since the agreement was signed, they have left the field.” If a CBA cannot be crafted by May 1, the Cities of Everett and Boston and The Kraft Group will be required to enter nonbinding mediation. If it is not finalized by December 31, the parties will be required to enter binding arbitration. “I believe there’ll be agreements in place before that,” DiDomenico said. Current plans for the CBA include establishment of a fouracre public park, a $5 million initial contribution and continued support for a community center that can be used year round, an annual contribution of $1 million or a mutually agreed on total based on ticket sales for an as yet undetermined purpose or purposes, a $10 million payment to a Housing Stabilization Fund, an as yet undetermined number of tickets to be made available to the city for regular season New England Revolution home soccer games and other events at no cost to the city, incorporation of renewable energy measures in the stadium and opportunities for Everett residents to get 50% of the jobs in the first five years of the stadium’s operation, with competitive wages and benefits and not requiring a college degree. It could also include Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT), often an incentive for developers when a community doesn’t require them to pay taxes, but asks for PILOTs of a lower amount. “PILOTs are sometimes considered to incentivize development of areas that are blighted or require significant private investment,” DeMaria’s Chief of Staff, SOCCER STADIUM | SEE PAGE 11 Furniture, TV’s, Wall Hangers, Washer & Dryer and so much more! New St. Anthony’s Flea Market 250 Revere St., Revere, Lower Hall Indoor Flea Market SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 2025 from 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM Admission .50 Cents NEW VENDORS WELCOME! Free Coffee & Tea! To rent a table, call Lynda: (781) 910-8615 Advocate Online: www.advocatenews.net J& • Reliable Mowing Service • Spring & Fall Cleanups • Mulch & Edging • Sod or Seed Lawns • Shrub Planting & Trimming • Water & Sewer Repairs Joe Pierotti, Jr. S LANDSCAPE & MASONRY CO. Masonry - Asphalt • Brick or Block Steps • Brick or Block Walls • Concrete or Brick Paver Patios & Walkways • Brick Re-Pointing • Asphalt Paving www.JandSlandscape-masonry.com • Senior Discount • Free Estimates • Licensed & Insured 617-389-1490 Designing and Constructing Ideas that are “Grounds for Success” Landscaping
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