New Revs stadium moves forward with benefits agreements

AARP is fighting to stop criminals from stealing over $246 million a year through cryptocurrency kiosks. Fraudulent activity targeting older Americans is on the rise. We support Senate Bill No. 707 and House Bill No. 1247, which will crack down on those who use crypto ATMs for fraudulent activity. Licensing crypto ATM operators in Massachusetts would give state officials stronger oversight and flag operators who break the rules. Learn more at aarp.org/ma.

Is a revolution brewing in 2026?

Perhaps the start of one in Everett, as far as the New England Revolution is concerned. To cap off 2025, the Kraft Group and the cities of Boston and Everett announced Wednesday that they locked in the community benefits agreements necessary to move closer to a proposed professional soccer stadium in Everett.

The impacts of the stadium, which would be the Revolution's home base and seat 25,000 people, have been the subject of months of negotiations. The deals came at the last day possible before the groups would have been forced to enter into binding arbitration.

Boston's agreement with the Kraft Group totals nearly $48 million over the next 15 years, while Everett's includes an estimated $91.7 million in total community value over 20 years. Everett will also see about $100 million from the Krafts for environmental cleanup and mitigation of the site, where a power plant used to live.

The money is not all coming from the Krafts. At the heart of both agreements — along with requirements like transportation investment and community mitigation — is revenue for the cities from ticket surcharges. Everett is set to receive $2.25 for every ticket sold; Boston will receive $1 per soccer ticket (a value that increases with the Consumer Price Index) and 1.5% of every concert ticket, representing about $34 million of the deal.

The agreements clear the way for local and state permitting phases to begin.

The stadium project can be officially proposed to Everett's Planning Board, and in addition to a local site plan review process, the project will have to get state approval. That includes reviews through the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act and going through a Chapter 91 license review as the project abuts a waterway, to ensure it meets public access requirements, according to the city of Everett.

MASSterList Job Board
Chief External Affairs Officer — NEW!, YMCA Greater Boston
Director of Climate Policy — NEW!, City of Boston
Deputy Administrator — NEW!, Berkshire Regional Transit Authority
Government Affairs Assistant — NEW!, NAIOP Massachusetts, The Commercial Real Estate Development Association
Chief of Staff — NEW!, SEIU Local 509
Statewide Community College Apprenticeship Coordinator — NEW!, Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges

Jobs continue below the fold — post a job

There's also a ballot question revolution of sorts taking shape in the new year. Nine initiative petitions are in the mix and two more could soon be added. By Jan. 7, all ballot measures that have satisfied signature requirements must be filed as bills with the House clerk's office to begin the process of legislative review.

Four cleared the certification hurdle this week, including measures that would subject most records held by the Legislature and governor's office to the public records law; overhaul the legislative stipend system; permit Committee for Public Counsel Services employees to collectively bargain; and require tax refunds if state revenues hit a new limit. Previously certified questions introduce an all-party primary election system; enable people to register and vote on Election Day; legalize rent increase limits; and reduce the income tax rate.

Another certified measure would repeal adult-use recreational marijuana — a movement that comes while the Legislature is negotiating a cannabis reform bill and right after the Cannabis Control Commission passed long-awaited social consumption regulations. Sens. Adam Gomez of Springfield, Joanne Comerford of Florence and Peter Durant of Spencer were appointed this week to join Reps. Daniel Donahue of Worcester, Carlos Gonzalez of Springfield and Michael Soter of Bellingham in the cannabis conference committee huddle. The bill, among many other things, would increase legal cannabis possession from one to two ounces.

Ballot questions still in limbo: A measure to use sales tax revenue from sporting goods purchases for conservation efforts and another to update zoning rules and "legalize starter homes."

Four questions revolve around voting and government reform. It's an indication that "people in Massachusetts are feeling like they want to have a substantive conversation about how government works, and I think it's part of a national conversation," Partners in Democracy Managing Partner John Griffin told the State House News Service.

The Massachusetts-based nonprofit didn't write the questions, but is backing all four. The group was founded by Danielle Allen, a former gubernatorial candidate and leader of the committee behind the all-party primary measure.

Allen suspended her campaign for governor in 2022 in the midst of now-Gov. Maura Healey taking a leading spot in the race, but took issue at the time with the state's ballot access procedures that she said "push out qualified but non-traditional candidates and rob the people of Massachusetts of real choice on their ballot." At the time, she said she would focus on "democratic reform" and she's backing that up in the current cycle.

It's only appropriate that a suite of reforms come ahead of a suite of events to mark the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, and the state is gearing up for other fanfare like the FIFA World Cup and Tall Ships returning to Boston Harbor.

THE SUNDAY SHOWS

@ ISSUE SIT DOWN: 9:30 a.m., NBC 10. Reporter Matt Prichard interviews Michael Minogue, GOP gubernatorial candidate.

ON THE RECORD: 11 a.m., WCVB. The show looks back at 2025 with Mary Anne Marsh and Ginny Buckingham, who review the political news that dominated the landscape.

ICYMI

SHORT-TERM GOALS: Airbnb wants Boston to loosen its rental rules for World Cup next summer (WBUR)

MARTHA'S VINEYARD: Scalloping boat capsizes, taking the lives of a beloved Island couple (MV Times)

NEW BEDFORD: Remembering the Revolutionary War battle that set New Bedford ablaze — and revisiting the overlooked house that played an outsized role in history (New Bedford Light)

JOB BOARD

Do you have an open job you'd like to feature here? Click here to place a job board order, or email Dylan Rossiter at [email protected].