The possibility of a major league soccer stadium near the Encore Casino in Everett is still on the table, despite a legislative setback earlier in the summer. As such, the Chelsea City Council wants a seat at the table if and when discussions move forward for a new home for the New England Revolution next door. State lawmakers failed to take action on an economic development bill at the end of their last session that would have removed the Designated Port Area language from the parcel near the casino, allowing for the building of a stadium. However, in the weeks following the vote, state leaders including Governor Maura Healey said they would push for a special session to work together with the legislature to get a deal done that could pave the way for the stadium.
At last week’s meeting, Councilor-at-Large Leo Robinson introduced a motion requesting a subcommittee meeting with local state legislators regarding the proposed soccer stadium. “The stadium thing will be coming back up, and I think we should be at the table,” said Robinson.
“We are going to get the traffic and other things that are going to be coming through our community, so we should be at the table. Maybe we can get a public safety building out of the deal when they are looking to build a stadium.” The proposed stadium development deal would likely include a commitment to clean up the contaminated former power plant that would be the site of the Revolution’s new home. Proponents of the project have touted the positive environmental impact of the clean up for the region. “This is a transformational project that will leave a lasting and positive impact in an environmental justice community for many years to come,” state Senator Sal DiDomenico said in a statement following the end of the legislative session at the end of Jule.
“We all know how critical this is, both environmentally and economically, for our region. We are the closest we have been to getting this across the finish line and I am optimistic there is a path forward to make that happen.” District 8 Councilor Calvin Brown noted that the Chelsea City Council has requested in the past that the city is involved with discussions about any stadium proposal.
“We are going to have a lot of issues and there is going to be a lot of impact on our community,” Brown said. District 1 Councilor Todd Taylor said the discussion with state leaders is necessary to ensure that Chelsea has a seat at the table when any proposed stadium deal is negotiated. “Once again, I commend my colleague for bringing this up, because it is an important issue and I look forward to talking to our representatives,” said Taylor.