New England Soccer Today

Krafts Comment, Provide Renderings of Nixed Stadium Proposal

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One day after the Boston Globe reported that the Revolution’s latest bid to build a Boston-based soccer stadium fell through, Robert and Jonathan Kraft issued a statement on the proposal, as well as artist’s renderings of the proposed stadium.

In the statement, the Revolution owners/operators confirmed they intended to build a soccer specific stadium at the former Bayside Expo site in Dorchester, Mass., which is owned by UMass-Boston.

“In 2015, we were invited to put together a stadium proposal for the former Bayside Exhibition Center site,” the statement read. “Since then, we have invested millions of dollars and thousands of staff hours to design and structure a venue that would benefit UMass Boston, the City of Boston and serve as an asset to the surrounding communities, with an operating plan that would benefit all local constituencies.”

The proposal was met with criticism from local lawmakers, who cited concerns about the potential impact a stadium would have on the surrounding neighborhood. On Thursday, a UMass-Boston spokesperson told the Globe the proposal “doesn’t appear feasible at this point,” a conclusion that was echoed in the Krafts’ statement.

“We were committed to a fully-funded, privately-financed stadium that would have totaled an investment in excess of $250 million,” the statement read. “There was also a full-value land lease to UMass that would have provided annual payments to the university. 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.”

Despite the setback, the Krafts said they remain committed to building a new home for the Revolution.

“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.”

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