The New England Revolution won’t build a home of their own at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Revolution owners Robert and Jonathan Kraft said Friday in a statement they won’t move forward with their plan to build a soccer-specific stadium on the former Bayside Exhibition Center site. The announcement signals the end of nearly two years of discussions between the Kraft family, land owners UMass-Boston and other parties over the potential waterfront soccer stadium in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood.
“We were committed to a fully-funded, privately-financed stadium that would have totaled an investment in excess of $250 million,” the statement said. “… As is the case with any development opportunity, there were numerous hurdles to overcome and we regularly adjusted our plans to cater to the needs of the project. Unfortunately, and for reasons beyond our control, it has been determined that this project is not feasible to pursue on this site at this time. It is our goal to continue to seek development opportunities where we can invest in a soccer specific stadium that will benefit its surrounding communities while giving our fans and our players a venue they will be proud to call home for generations to come.”
UMass-Boston spokesperson Jeff Cournoyer told The Boston Globe’s John Chesto on Thursday the soccer stadium plan was no longer “feasible at this point.” Chesto cited elected officials’ concern and the Krafts’ inability to agree to a price for land with the Boston Teachers Union, owners of an adjacent parcel on which part of the stadium would sit.
The Revolution play their home games at the 66,829-seat Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. The Krafts have sought to build a smaller venue for the team since at least 2002, with their preference being inside or close to Boston, but various circumstances have prevented them from doing so.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
