Boston exploring soccer stadium for Revolution

I think one another factor in the failure of both the Red Sox and Patriots plans was that they tried to big foot their way in. The announced plans and were stunned to find the neighborhoods didn't like them. And Menino didn't offer the teams any support.

This time, he's leading the idea and he's setting up a process to develop a consensus. And not that it matters, but this is featured on the City of Boston web site.

 

So let's see... 2006, letter of intent. Major construction in Boston, for MLS. So what we're looking at completion by... 2097?

 

I'm all for teams getting soccer specific stadiums, but I tend to agree with the notion that it's a long shot at best.

 

Actually, it does matter:

http://www.cityofboston.gov/

There is no way that this guy is simply wrapped up in the post- WC gathering in front of city hall and thinks that a soccer stadium would be a cool idea.

There is a plan at work here. It may never materialize, but this is pretty amazing all the same.

 

Well, the new investor group chose to make a lot of renovations and just this year replaced that enclosed yuppie heaven above homeplate with about 2,000 seats (for a lower breed of yuppies). The regular seats are still very uncomfortable.

The Red Sox know they have a good thing going. Capacity is now just under 40,000 which they don't want to exceed because they might lose the image of exclusiveness. Tickets have sold out by march the past two seasons and they raised prices each year.

 

and we should actually be able to bring it in under the $14.6B spent on the big dig (unless the payoffs continue to grow

rand

 

sadly, the events of last week concerning the central artery project (aka big dig) will most likely make it nearly impossible for a large public works project in the state of massachusetts anytime soon. unless the krafts, or other investors were to buy the land and almost fund the entire porject, the likelyhood of it getting legs (so to speak) in the next decade or so, is almost non-exsistent.

 

We'll know in 60-90 days, no doubt.

 

shhhh the new ownership group doesn't want to build a new park before they sell the team....shhh don't tell anyone

 

This is Boston, it doesn't move New York speed. Give it 90-120

 

You give the Mayor of Boston far too much credit, my friend.

Bottom line? Menino threw a World Cup Final viewing party on City Hall Plaza. The result was that 10,000 people showed up... for the one-off, quadrennial final of the world's soccer championships. A light-bulb went off in Tom's head that equated support for said quadrennial event with steady support for 16 New England Revolution regular-season MLS soccer matches a season. Frankly, the support of we MLS soccer die-hards notwithstanding, that's an awfully big leap in both faith and logic.

Mark my words: Tom Menino has mistaken the once-every-four-years support of casual fans for the spectacle that is the FIFA World Cup as evidence that a vast amount of Bostonians are waiting with baited breath to support an MLS franchise playing at a soccer-specific stadium within the City of Boston. Nothing more, nothing less.

The problem with him thinking this to be the case is that there's no evidence linking the two scenarios. Ultimately, when Tom begins to hear dissent over the stadium plan from rank-and-file Bostonians who weren't transformed into long-term soccer fans by the World Cup, Hizzoner's support for the plan is going to dissipate rather quickly.

Ironically, I believe that Tom Menino is the very epitome of a successful old-time local politician in that he will always play to the desires of the neighborhoods. That's why he's survived so long in Boston politics. He's not a visionary who carefully formulates grandiose plans such as those you're trying to give him credit for. Rather, he's a fix-the-potholes, get-the-garbage-picked-up, plow-the-streets type of mayor. The rank-and-file Bostonians have his ear... and the minute such rank-and-file Bostonians speak out against having a soccer-specific stadium built within a "stone's throw" of their neighborhood, this plan is DOA.

The only question here may be which neighborhoods hold the true power in Boston? Are there enough neighborhoods populated with soccer-mad, new-wave immigrants to outnumber the neighborhoods of long-term resident old-timers? More importantly, do the new-immigrant soccer fans know how to mobilize effectively enough to carry the day over old-time NIMBY Bostonians? Me? I'm banking on the fact that Boston politics will play out just as it always has: the old-timers are going to make their voices heard in enough numbers to scuttle this project.

 

Translation: Tom Menino has never watched the MLS, and doesn't even realize how bad it sucks.

 

Brian in Boston, every time I click into one of these threads I'm greeted by another post of yours rehashing what you've already stated, maybe having 'quoted' a different person's post this time. You've cluttered Boston stadium threads on both the Revs and N&A boards with your redundant pessimism and belabored reasoning. You think there's an extremely low chance of it happening; that Menino is being blinded by the euphoria of the World Cup celebration in Boston and is confusing that passion with something that can sustain a largely anonymous Revs team in the city; and that, even so, the power of NIMBYs make Menino's position largely irrelevant. We get it, Brian, we get your "bottom line". Regardless of whether or not this perception of key factors is more accurate than every else's is, we get what you're saying. I'd be interested in reading people's opinions and brainstorming without you incessantly reminding them of what you consider to be the bottom line.

 

I must admit this is ODD. When New England was drawing 24,000 a game NO one gave the team much notice. Now that they barley draw 13,000 People want them ina stadium... Wierd...

 

Sorry, but I do not see a problem with someone realing in the blind ambition of one of Boston's politicians. Sadly, a poster on bigsoccer.com (Brian in Boston) is thinking more rationally about this topic, than the mayor of the city itself. The idea sounds nice in theory, but even Menino himself knows the poor judgement of his impetuous remarks. Though some people would rather live life under euphoric conditions, there is a vestige of hope for a project such as this in this state. Punish him for being realistic if you will, but I applaud him for not being one who wishes to view the world of Boston, MAssachusetts with such rose-colored glasses as to be blinded by reality.

 

Sorry. I think he was referring to real cities that actually have useful public transportation.

Only half-joking. You have simply pointed out the difference between our two types of cities. In a place like Boston, there are a lot of people who don't own, and don't need to own, cars.

Places like Dallas, Denver, LA, that is not an issue.

 

What? You are leading people to believe that people in Boston do not have cars. I wish I could find the census firgures, but I'm sure the numbers bear that people don't have trouble accessing vehicles to get to Foxboro. If you were to argue that they didn't want to drive all the way out there, then that would be a viable argument.

There is public transportation to Foxboro.

 

Which is why I believe that at some point the Kraft family and Town of Foxboro will lobby the Massachusetts Legislature to have the MBTA extend a full-time, full-service commuter rail line to the planned Patriots Place development in Foxboro. The project will consist of office, retail, restaurant and hotel components that would be well-served by regular commuter rail service... as would Gillette Stadium and a potential soccer-specific facility for the Revolution.