Revolution Stadium Groundbreaking "12-24 months" Part X

The Sullivan Square station is also about a 20 minute walk to that site. If the Amelia Earhart Dam was modified to provide a pedestrian walk way the assembly square stop would be even closer.

 

Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria is the driving force behind the idea to buy the proposed casino site - as well as a number of other adjacent properties - for $41 million and then resell it to Steve Wynn for the same price. DeMaria contends that the purchase - legally known as a taking - is part of an urban renewal plan that predates Wynn's proposal and should not be seen as a move being made solely to benefit the casino developer.

However, Everett City Council president Michael Marchese has made it clear that he sees the land taking and resale as being undertaken as a favor to Wynn. He further contends that other members of the Everett City Council agree with him. This could be a major issue, because under state law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts municipal taking of private land must serve a public purpose and not just be for the benefit of a private party.

So, there's every indication that Everett's political leadership is divided on whether to undertake the land seizure and resale in question. In other words, this eminent domain taking is by no means a sure thing.

 

Grease a few palms and suddenly it will quickly become a sure thing...

 

(inside baseball) Mike Marchese hates Carlo and would oppose cashing a $16m check if Carlo would get the credit for the $400 in tax relief given to every man, woman, and child in Everett (/inside baseball)

 

I don't see it as being that simple.

The overall urban renewal plan that Mayor DeMaria says he's championing - the Lower Broadway Urban Renewal Plan - calls for over $30 million in improvements to 128 acres of land. Some portion of said $30 million in improvements would have to be paid for out of current city funds, or city-backed bonds.

While Everett residents approved the casino referendum by a wide margin last year, said support was widely thought to have been driven by the promise of job creation on the part of Wynn Resorts Limited. Are Everett residents going to be as willing to approve spending municipal tax dollars on urban renewal upgrades if said improvements are seen - even tangentially - as providing a smokescreen for a municipal eminent domain taking meant to benefit Wynn?

After all, of the 128 acres within the Lower Broadway Urban Renewal Plan district, 54.8 acres are the land DeMaria proposes the city acquire via a taking... 37 acres of which would be sold to Wynn for his casino project.

 

Globe land up for sale
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/b...bn&u=lSCD3raNGoP8/7ovp3Ta7hKxvGU&t=1398214859

16.5 acres. Red Bull is 12.3. Just saying.


And yes I know it isn't realistic.

 

Only if Kraft wasn't the owner.....

 

Measure, measure, measure, measure, measure, measure, measure, measure ...and just for good measure ..measure again.

 

I can't even bring myself to hope that there is any possibility that the Krafts would jump on this. I'd love it if they surprised me, but I've become so jaded about the prospect of ever having our own SSS that I just can't see it happening.

 

One of the two potential casino sites will not get the nod, which will leave the other open for alternative development. I would imagine either Everett or Revere / Boston would be fairly eager to have another proposal quickly brought forward. This could work out well for a Stadium bid.

I personally think the Everett casino site would be the better than Suffolk Downs site. The location next to Assembly Square and the eventually to redeveloped Sullivan Square has a lot of potential to be a future hot spot. The waterfront site with the city skyline behind would look great on TV. Although Suffolk Downs is on the Blue line and the Everett site is a bit of a walk from the Orange line the potential to use the MBTA's new DMU trains on the existing commuter rail tracks could work great to transport fans to the stadium before and after game time. An extension of the Silver Line from Chelsea to Sullivan along the rail road right of away would make it even more accessible. This is all dreams but "Kraft is a savvy businessman..."

http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/silverlinegateway/Home.aspx

http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2014/01/09/massdot-capital-plan-proposal/

 

The problem with the Everett site is that it's a toxic dump. My understanding is that part of the deal is that Wynn will clean up the site with his own funds if he gets the casino license.

The other problem is that it's in Everett. Revere, now that's God's country.

 

For what it's worth, I agree, the Everett site - close to Assembly Square - would be a lot more mainstream and appealing than being plunked out in Revere Beach. Not just saying that as a self-serving comment from a driver west of Boston, but in general Assembly Square will get a lot more traction and visibility. It strikes me as a ready made "Patriot Place" type environment, making it more appealing to the Krafts given their existing model.

They just need to somehow get an opportunity to dip their finger in the Assembly Square pie to collect revenue beyond Revs home matches and suddenly the stadium will make a lot more financial sense to them.

 

So I just saw on the news that Boston lost its bid to have the casino within city boundaries. This means East Boston residents can no longer have any say over a potential Revere/Everett casino bid. Good news for the revs!

 

What am I missing here? The East Boston community was allowed to vote in this (not the entire city of Boston) and they voted no to casinos in Boston.

 

Article: Boston residents can't vote up or down casino in Everett or Revere

Right - but from what I read previously, East Boston residents specifically were raising NIMBY issues for Revere around the casino given they abut the propsed site. This vote effectively shuts them up as they no longer have a say in what Revere does. I believe this is positive for the revs because that's one less group of NIMBY opposition group getting in the way of a potential SSS.

Again, I could have it wrong and don't have time to source it, but that's my quick and dirty understanding of the situation. Someone else can feel free to comment further/correct me.

 

Okay, that is correct. I guess you lost me when you said "within city boundaries". I think you meant they lost a say in what happens just over the city line in Revere.

 

Yes - that's what I meant. Revere and Everett. Hopefully, that's good news for the revs.

 

There is nothing in the Revere Host Community Agreement about Wonderland or a stadium http://www.revere.org/news/post/revere-casino-host-community-agreement-with-mohegan-sun
Well, unless you want to put the Revs in to Harry Della Russo stadium, which would be fitting as Google Maps labels it Paul Revere Park. Looks a tad small though.

 

Well true. I guess I see it as an opportunity for the Revs as the Revere mayor has said in the past he wants the team. I don't know what Everett thinks but I guess the advantage is minimizing NIMBY opposition.

 

But it is a common understanding that the two properties are linked and will ostensibly be decoupled once a decision is reached as to how the Suffolk Downs land will be redeveloped. PS: I happened to drive past Wonderland on Sunday and it looks very forlornly. I would guess Revere, would be interested in doing something there.

 

Forgot to mention this - but check out the HCA Summary's "Transportation Improvements" section (pg 2). Some of these could benefit the revs if a Wonderland Stadium went in. This could represent some of the 'help' the Krafts were looking for.

 

It was barely big enough for a High School game. If the Revere Patriots (the original Patriots, btw, using that name for at least 20 years longer than the Nickerson-Fenway Gridiron Club) were even as good as Chelsea, they'd have to turn fans away for Thanksgiving.

It is, however, 8 tremendously small blocks from my house, and I've stumbled drunk to and from that enough to know that I'd like it.

 

DC Getting Close. While scoring five goals a game, we still play in some other sports lifeless suburban stadium.

 

When I read what remains to be worked out the hoops that must be cleared could keep them "close" for the next 5 years. The location and basic outline of an agreement are in place but the devil is in the details that have yet to be accomplished.

 

Compare hoops in progress to hoops that haven't even begun...