BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The City of Boston is tired of waiting and leaders are not keeping quiet about it. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu says the city has heard crickets in response to questions of mitigation surrounding a proposed soccer stadium in Everett.
Prior to the state legislature getting involved and mandating talks between developers and city leaders, the Kraft Group offered $750,000 as mitigation for building the New England Revolution’s potential new home.
Wu said she wants the Kraft Group to be transparent and responsive to the city’s hesitations surrounding the proposal.
“$750,000 is just one-and-a-half months of a billionaire son's allowance,” Wu said.
She said she wants Boston to be more involved in this proposal because of the potential impact it could have on Charlestown residents. Though the site is in Everett, leaders argued Boston residents would feel the brunt of the traffic and noise levels since Everett’s slab is largely industrial. Mayor Wu also said Boston owns a small sliver of land on the Everett side of the Mystic River.
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On that point, leaders say the current sidewalk on Alford Street Bridge is treacherous and not suited to host thousands of soccer fans.
Wu also wanted more insight into the new jobs the stadium would create, hoping that the Kraft Group would prioritize local hiring and fair wages. She also said she wants more transparency about profits and who will foot the bill for certain infrastructure changes.
At the conference State Senator Sal DiDomenico said both sides are ready to negotiate, they just need to get it started. He went on to say that he and his colleagues believe the stadium would do wonders for the economy and revitalize the otherwise abandoned area, but that it needs to be done the right way.
Last month, Wu’s chief of planning sent a letter to New England Revolution President Brian Bilello, laying out the city's concerns, according to the Boston Globe. In response, a spokesperson for the Kraft Group said the letter was surprise and didn't line up with discussions the two sides have had for months.
WBZ NewsRadio has reached out to the Kraft Group for response to the mayor's latest press conference.
Wu said this matter is strictly in an official capacity and separate from her re-election campaign against Boston mayoral candidate Josh Kraft.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Jay Willett (@JayWillettWBZ) reports.