Report: Kraft Family Eyeing Boston Site As Potential Home For New Soccer Stadium
BOSTON (CBS) - Major League Soccer's New England Revolution may soon be calling Boston -- not Foxborough -- home.
That is, if the Kraft family's plans go smoothly.
According to a new report in the Boston Globe, Revolution owners Robert and Jonathan Kraft are eyeing a plot of city-owned land off Interstate-93 on Frontage Road in South Boston, which currently houses a large yard for towed cars and public works.
The location offers easy access to major highways and sits near the MBTA Red Line, as well as rail lines at nearby South Station.
The Revolution are one of a handful of MLS teams that do not play in a soccer-specific stadium, and moving to an urban center like Boston would help draw the young, college-aged crowd so typical of the American soccer fan to the stadium.
The preferred size of this new stadium would seat anywhere from 18,000 to 22,000 fans. The Revs currently play their matches inside the spacious Gillette Stadium, which has a capacity of over 68,000 and is not an ideal location.
According to a Globe source, the most recent talks between the Krafts and the city included the possibility of adding "light rail service" to the site of the new stadium from South Station.
The Kraft family would not comment on the reported talks, but did say they continue to look at whether a soccer stadium would make sense in the area.
"We are currently developing concepts for how a soccer stadium for the Revolution can benefit the greater Boston area. Once we have more developed plans, we will comment further," the Krafts said.
Because the site is publicly owned, a spokeswoman for Mayor Marty Walsh said stadium plans would be subject to a bidding process and lengthy reviews by city and state regulators.
While construction for this South Boston site is still a ways away, the Krafts are hoping to finish the $100 million-plus project within five years.
The Krafts proudly call Gillette Stadium one of the few privately-funded stadiums in the NFL, but at this time it is unclear if the soccer stadium would require public money.
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