I'm doing no such thing. I think people understand that I'm not saying 100% of Bostonians don't have cars. But I know quite a few people that don't have cars that live in the city. I've picked up quite a few people at Riverside for Revs games as they don't have access to cars to get out to the games. I won't use the driving all the way out there excuse for anyone because the people driving from Boston have a shorter ride than I do, so that excuse means nothing to me. Hmmm ... news to every Revs fan. Let me clarify ... there is no public transportation that bring you directly to the stadium. The closest the train brings someone to Gillette is (according to someone on the Revs boards) a $20 cab ride away. Better?
Do you perhaps think that Tom Menino or his staff have also considered that possibility. and as the Mayor of Boston, would you imagine that he would want those 18-25 soccer matches per year and their fans, and the concert-goers to the Revs stadium riding the rails out of Boston, or would he rather try to find a plan for a location to house a modest venue for soccer and concerts within the Boston city limits and keep all of that associated potential revenue as opposed to letting it catch the train out of town. again, not to say that Boston is going to win out and a Revs stadium will get built there, but if it becomes a competition of Boston and somewhere(s) else trying to court the Krafts/Revs, that's a positive step in the process for MLS and their stadium-building desires, you may admit.
Please go back an re-read what I wrote. I'm not questioning the merits of Brian's posts; in fact, I tend to agree with a lot of what he says. Rather, I'm more peeved by the fact that he's regurgitated these same points seemingly a dozen times over several threads. This board is designed to facilitate and encourage discussion. The fact that Menino and several area suburbs have shown fairly significant interest in pursuing this project communicates to me that it is a worthwhile exercise to speculate and brainstorm about specifics. Brian has made it clear that there are significant obstacles to keep in mind, so I don't see what his agenda is in continually repeating them at every chance. It's as if he's attempting to quash all speculative discussion.
Honestly? No. I don't. Not as in-depth as you give him credit for. At least not initially. As I've stated before, based on the timing of his announcement, the information that was included in the press release and - perhaps, most importantly - Hizzoner's track record, I believe that Mayor Menino has gone off "half-cocked" on this soccer-specific stadium plan. Ten-thousand people on City Hall Plaza for a World Cup viewing party caught his attention. He jumped to the conclusion that the fervor on display would directly translate into huge support for a soccer-specific stadium for the Revolution in Boston, despite the fact that there's no proof whatsoever this will happen. He'll continue to run with this plan until rank-and-file Boston neighborhood residents speak out against it, which - given the normally virulent NIMBYism in Boston - will happen. His enthusiasm for the project will wane. As a Revolution fan, I want to see a state-of-the-art soccer-specific stadium built for the team. Aesthetically, I can see where it would be a real thrill to have it built in the midst of Boston's urban environment. Realistically, knowing what I know of Boston politics, I'm not holding my breath. I'll take a kick-ass SSS in Foxboro.
I can assure you that any "agenda" is a figment of your imagination. Not at all. Simply providing a counterpoint to aspects of said speculative discussion.
Well now that you mention it, my overactive imagination tends to think that all the 'mark my words'/'you heard it here first' language you've chosen has been crafted so that you can one day revel in your remarkable predictive ability, if and when the Boston option fails.
fair points, but to me it is great that there is a mayor who 'has gone off "half-cocked" on this soccer-specific stadium plan.' most mayors go (or don't at all go) off no-cocked in all things MLS-related. if the WC and the July 9 crowd on City Hall Plaza were part of the push that led to the press release from Boston's City Hall, so be it. a new soccer stadium in Foxboro or in Boston would be outstanding for the league, but clearly, I would think the preferred (even if it is more unrealistic) option would be in Boston. that's not what you believe (or at least reasonably think will happen), and that's fine.
Actually, I'm so confident that typical Boston NIMBYism and short-sightedness will scuttle this project that it would never occur to me to come back and crow about it. Doing so wouldn't strike me as a celebration of "remarkable predictive ability"; rather, it would strike me as being completely anticlimactic. Rather, as a die-hard Revolution fan who can certainly recognize the aesthetic merits of a soccer-specific home facility built in Boston's urban core, I'm hoping that I get the chance to come back and say, "I never saw that coming, " when proven wrong.
And Bridgeview is just outside the city limits. The problem with Bridgeview is that it's in a suburb that's inaccessible from most of the city for those city dwellers without cars (in a city that depends on public transit less than only Washington D.C. and New York City in the entire country).
It's not the Fire exactly but the suburban bus line running a shuttle version of their normal South Harlem route every 20 minutes. i had heard it wasn't running yet but it appears on the PACE site so I guess it is. When I say Bridgeview isn't on public transit, I basically meant METRA which would make it wonderfully accessible from everywhere suburban and city. It would basically be the same as putting PHP on the DART as opposed to just beyond.
Which is another reason that having a soccer stadium in Boston would be a big plus - difficulty getting Sox tickets could make the Revs a reasonable alternative for those who want an evening's entertainment in the city. Aside from whether building one is practical (and it most likely isn't) I imagine that an SSS for the Revs in Boston would be hugely successful in drawing fans.
God I wish it was true........I watch this OLD House and if building codes are as tuff as they say they are in Boston, then don;t even think about a SSS in Boston area.
Here is that letter that was on City of Boston.gov Boston Submits Letter of Interest for Major League Soccer Stadium 7/14/2006 - Released by Mayor's Office For more information contact Press Office Boston Submits Letter of Interest for Major League Soccer Stadium Mayor Menino to Form Task Force to Examine Potential Sites Mayor Thomas M. Menino today announced that he would convene a task force to study potential sites for a soccer stadium in Boston. The City of Boston has been identified by Major League Soccer as a desirable location for a soccer stadium for the New England Revolution. In a July 11th letter to the Mayor from MLS Commissioner Donald P. Garber, Boston was highlighted as a community of interest in the League’s new search process for a stadium – a recent effort undertaken by MLS to have each of its twelve soccer teams playing in soccer-specific stadiums. “Boston is honored and proud to be recruited by Major League Soccer to be the potential home for the New England Revolution,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “This is a fantastic opportunity for our city and our neighborhoods, but it will require a throughout exploration of possible sites – we need to make sure this works for Boston residents.” Last spring, Major League Soccer opened Chicago’s brand-new Toyota Park, a 20,000-seat stadium for the Chicago Fire. The city of Philadelphia is in the process of opening its own soccer stadium. Garber’s letter indicated that, although “multiple New England communities have submitted letters of interest to become a partner with the Revolution” for a stadium, Boston is of particular interest for the new location. Garber stated that MLS would be sending a more formal letter, or “Request for Information” (RFI), to the City in the near future. In a written response to Commissioner Garber, Mayor Menino said he would ask the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) to form a community task force comprised of civic, business, and sports leaders to work with Boston residents to identify potential locations for such a stadium. He added that he is confident that a working group of this nature would produce some locations that would exceed the League’s expectations for a world-class venue. On July 9th, Boston’s World Cup Celebration on City Hall Plaza attracted more than 10,000 soccer fans from all over Greater Boston, who watched the tournament’s final match on a large TV screen. Also, ABC incorporated the event into it’s national broadcast of the World Cup final. New England Revolution team members participated in the celebration, signing autographs and greeting fans of all ages. The New England Revolution currently shares Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium with the New England Patriots.
Certainly, if you were a political opponent- nailing a guy on public funds for a soccer stadium would be one of the easier battles to pick. Doesn't mean you are going to win it- but selling public funding for a soccer stadium in a major city is a difficult call (remember to date- most SSSs have been funding by pitting smaller, outside-the-city bigger city wannabees against each other) Having said this- a 20,000 seater in the right place in Boston would look and be magnificant. Maybe like Landsdowne in Dublin? Walk to the stadium from somewhere downtown (or more realistically, taking the great public transport). How great would that be? Could be a real Euro soccer experience..
Whoever designs the stadium needs to calculate the sun angles for where the stadium will be located, and then determine the shadows cast based on the normal gametimes throughout the season.
For those who think that a SSS will be located in the heart of downtown Boston, forget it. The land required simply does not exist (and if it did, the cost would instantly kill the project). That said, there are a few possible scenarios in which the City of Boston, Kraft Soccer LLC and possible private investors could theoretically build a SSS within the city's limits. The following is just a couple of ideas that are plausible, with a minimum of NIMBY backlash: A partnership with a local college/university Theoretically, the Krafts could approach (or be approached by) a school such as Northeastern University which would like to build a new stadium for its own growing sports program, helping recruiting and more importantly serving as a new renue source. With the Krafts' financial backing the proposed stadium could increase in size and amenities thus drawing in events and cencerts that would normally be too big for a smaller stadium (Boston University has done this in effect with the Agganis Arena) Redevelopment of state/city owned property This would be something on par with redeveloping a city owned site in Mattapan or Milton slated for urban renewal/economic development. Typically, these are not the most desireable areas to build, but the economic incentives (tax breaks, very low lease rates) are incentive enough to build and spur development by other parties in the surrounding area. Brownfields development Much like the development of the Target store off of I-93 in Woburn, a site such as the the old incenerator in Dorchester would require massive cleanup costs that could be aided by state and local funding again to spur development of a site that is not the most enticing to a prospective buyer Outright purchase of private land This is my personal favorite and possibly the most intriguing option. With the horse and dog racing in MA on the wane and the slot machine initiative all but dead, the fate of tracks in the state is become more and more clear. A site such as Suffolk Downs in East Boston offers excellent access for vehicular traffic (with a minimum of infrastructure improvements necessary), easy access via public transportation (Blue Line station adjacent to the property), sufficient land for a facility, ancillary aministration buildings and ample parking. In addition, the site has been used as a concert venue. This is not a largely residential area and it is a 5 minute ride to/from Logan airport and many area hotels. There are many enclaves of immigrants in the vicinity including Italian, Latin American, Portuguese, Russian, Asian and South American. With all of these options considered, the possibility does exist for construction of a SSS. The Mayor's support is crucial and the environment is far different than it was in 1994 when Bob Kraft proposed his "Megaplex" stadium in South Boston. He has built up a lot of political goodwill in the subsequent years and has numerous friends in the infamous Boston business community who are willing to lend them their support whereas in the past they may not have. Additionally, like it or not, the Krafts have garnered a lot of goodwill from the general public as a direct result of the Patriots' recent performance. These are all key (not necessarily definitive) factors in helping to get a SSS built.