UMass Boston mulling fate of Expo Center site
Financially plagued University of Massachusetts Boston has to figure out what to do with a prime piece of land in Dorchester after discussions with the Kraft family and the New England Revolution about building a soccer stadium fell apart.
“This is a prime piece of property, it’s definitely going to have strong demand,” said David Begelfer, chief executive of NAIOP Massachusetts, a commercial real estate trade group. “The location is great, transit is good, it’s a great opportunity there.”
The site of the former Bayside Expo Center had been at the center of discussions between UMass and the Revolution over a soccer stadium for years, but Thursday those talks were officially called off.
The proposal seemingly ran into one hurdle after another, but community concerns over a deluge of 20,000 fans and the cars they would bring were never addressed. Negotiations with the Boston Teachers Union, which owns land on a bordering parcel that would have been used in one plan for the stadium, also presented problems.
UMass Boston is in the midst of a major budget-busting expansion that’s left it with a $30 million deficit and led to the resignation of its popular chancellor, Keith Motley. The school will continue to use the 20-acre site for parking, and would release a Request for Information to potential developers if it decides to develop the site. UMass spokesman Jeff Cournoyer said there is no timeline for an RFI, and would not comment on what UMass would be looking for.
If it is developed, Begelfer said he could envision a smaller version of Assembly Row, the entirely new neighborhood that includes housing, office space and retail in Somerville. But, he said, any developer will have to be part of fixing the area’s traffic problems, which includes Kosciuszko Circle, a rotary that is almost as hard to navigate as it is to pronounce.
“The concerns that have been voiced about traffic are real concerns, anyone who’s developing that property is going to have to be part of the solution,” Begelfer said.
Still, not everybody wants redevelopment. City Councillor Michael Flaherty said the former Expo site could be an opportunity to expand UMass Boston’s nursing program, one of the best in the country, which is looking for a new home.
“I’d like to see them be able to expand their institution and expand and tap into what’s working,” Flaherty said.
In a statement, Robert and Jonathan Kraft said they “invested millions” designing a stadium since 2015, and said they would keep looking for a spot to build a dedicated home for the Revs.
“Unfortunately, and for reasons beyond our control, it has been determined that this project is not feasible to pursue on this site at this time,” the statement said.
“It is our goal to continue to seek development opportunities where we can invest in a soccer-specific stadium that will benefit its surrounding communities while giving our fans and our players a venue they will be proud to call home.”
Mayor Martin J. Walsh said he is still open to the idea of a soccer stadium in the city, but there is no obvious place to build one now.
“We have to think and see where else potentially this could go in the city,” Walsh said in a radio interview.