Special to the Patriot-Bridge
This week, the Massachusetts State Senate and House came to an agreement on an Economic Development bill, An Act Relative to strengthening Massachusetts’ economic leadership, which will inject millions of dollars into critical sectors, develop the state’s workforce, grow the economy, and make Massachusetts more competitive. Thanks to Senator DiDomenico’s advocacy and leadership on this issue, the bill also includes language that will allow for the construction of a professional soccer stadium and waterfront park in Everett.
The language removes the classification of a parcel of land in Everett as a designated port area, which will enable the development of a professional soccer stadium and environmental cleanup in Everett. Senator Sal DiDomenico has been working for almost two years to achieve this goal, securing language in multiple bills as well as filing a standalone bill to remove this classification. The change is expected to have positive environmental and economic impacts in surrounding communities as well as improve public transit connectivity.
“I am proud to share that language I have been working on to allow for the construction of a transformational soccer stadium in Everett for the New England Revolution has been included in the final Economic Development bill,” said Senator Sal DiDomenico. “This language paves the way for the public process to move forward on a project that will help my community clean up a power plant site that has been a health and environmental hazard for decades. This will result in hundreds of millions of dollars in private investment, cleanup of a hazardous waste site, the creation of good paying union jobs, and open our waterfront for the public to enjoy. I want to thank Senate President Spilka for her long-time support, Mayor Carlo DeMaria for his advocacy and all his work on this issue, as well as the members of the conference committee for including this language in the final report. This will be an economic catalyst for our community and environmental win for our residents.”
The language prohibits any public funding for the stadium project and any funding for public infrastructure improvements associated with the stadium would require matching private funds. This section of the bill also requires community mitigation agreements with the cities of Everett and Boston.
The Economic Development legislation authorizes $3.96 billion in capital programs and a sweeping set of policy changes to support businesses and communities alike. The bill will shortly be taken up by the Senate and House, and following its passage will be sent to the Governor’s desk for her signature.