MALDEN/EVERETT — In a city long-fueled by community spirit generated from its highly successful high school football team, this was a major announcement by Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr. at his inaugural address.
DeMaria confirmed what has been talked about privately for about a year and formally for the past several months: Everett is forging ahead with plans to construct a massive, 10.5 acre recreational complex adjacent to the city’s waterfront, alongside the Malden River and right next to the Malden-Everett city line.
The biggest news with the mayor’s announcement is that Everett will construct a new, state-of-the-art, artificial turf football stadium at the site, replacing historic Everett Veterans Memorial Stadium which was constructed in the WPA days of the 1930s.
In addition to the new football stadium, the recreational site plan calls for a turf multi-purpose soccer field; a full-length track; a mini-turf playing field; several play areas; a splash pad water feature; a riverwalk; a marsh restoration project and new tennis courts on the area across the street that now contains a street hockey rink.
City officials have not offered a price tag for the venture, but speculation is this project will come at cost of more than $20 million.
DeMaria, in his address, said he was very excited about this plan coming to fruition, with the help of Wynn Boston Resort Casino, now under construction near the planned recreational site and due to open in June 2019.
“I have heard loud and clear from Everett residents about the extreme lack of parking and other issues with our existing football stadium,” Mayor DeMaria said. “This new facility will highlight and commemorate the strong tradition of our champion athletes and preserve the World War II honor wall from the old stadium.”
Everett High football has been the most consistently successful football program in the state and the recently-renovated, existing Everett Stadium could essentially be called “The House that John DiBiaso Built” with its 12 Division 1 Super Bowl Championships in the past 25 years he had coached the team, before announcing he was stepping down shortly after winning the most recent title in December.
Everett, Malden High and Medford High were all part of the former Greater Boston League for 60 years but all three are all in their first full year of competition in the 16-team Northeastern Conference (NEC), though Everett competes outside of the NEC as an independent in football only.
The mayor said the new football stadium would be the “centerpiece” of the new, 10.5-acre recreational space and was a great chance to develop the Seven Acres Park and Lynde Street Park area, both of which sit adjacent to the Malden River at the Malden-Everett city line.
The plan, which must be approved by the Everett City Council, would include the city “swapping” the Lynde Street Park land with land recently purchased in Everett by Wynn Boston Resort Casino. Wynn would take over the Lynde Street space and in turn cede Everett the land it needed to complete its recreational parcel, pending Everett Board of Aldermen approval.
There has been no public discussion on the fate of the existing Everett Stadium, which underwent a partial renovation, including installation of new artificial turf surface and some seating about a decade ago.
