FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The search for a new stadium has taken the New England Revolution to Revere, Mass.
Revolution president Brian Bilello confirmed that the team is in preliminary talks with city officials regarding the possibility of building a soccer-specific facility in the urban Boston core.
“We are in discussions with the city of Revere, which offers the proximity to urban centers and access to transit that we are seeking for a future Revolution stadium, but talks are preliminary at this stage,” Bilello said in a statement obtained from the team.
Revere mayor Daniel Rizzo told the Boston Globe on Monday that his city has approached the Revs about a placing a stadium on the site of the former Wonderland dog track, a venue located approximately seven miles from downtown Boston. The proposed parcel is already linked to downtown Boston by the T, the local subway system.
The discussions continue an extensive, ongoing and protracted search to construct a new home for the Revolution. Although the club has yet to strike an agreement with any municipality, it continues to work with local officials – including representatives in Revere and Somerville – to secure a stadium deal on a plot of land near Boston and easily accessible by MBTA.
“We've been steadfast that we want to be on the T in an urban location,” Bilello told MLSsoccer.com this past weekend. “I don't think we've been too careful with it. I think we've drawn a line to say this is what it needs to be to have the impact everyone wants it to have. Once we can get past that point, I think it'll be pretty quick. If anything, we'll rush through it to get it built as quickly as possible.”
Bilello said the Revs are hoping to strike the right deal sooner rather than later in order to get the team into its own venue in 2015 or 2016.
“You could still hit the beginning of the 2015 season window at this stage,” Bilello said. “Once you get to 2013, you're looking at 2016. For us, it's really ASAP. Right now, that's 2015. There's no real back end time, like we want to build it by this date or that date.
“There may be sites that have some restrictions, but right now, I don't think that's going to be a concern. It's about getting the right deal in place that makes it work.”
