While Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said in his "State of
the City" speech Tuesday that he would decide where a new
Patriots stadium will be located, he actually has "few legal
tools available to block the stadium" from being built in
the proposed location, according to Vaillancourt & Walker in
this morning's BOSTON GLOBE. Menino's "brave words,
intended to signal (his) control over the proposed South
Boston stadium ... are just that: words," because the
proposed waterfront stadium is slated to be built on land
owned by the MA Port Authority and on streets also
controlled by the state, so there are "relatively few Boston
city approvals needed" to develop the project. Massport's
board is also controlled by MA Gov. William Weld, the "chief
proponent" of the new stadium (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/16). Weld
met with both Pats Owner Robert Kraft and a group of stadium
opponents in separate meetings yesterday. A Weld aide said
the Governor listened to the group's objections, "but was
not persuaded by their arguments." One state source said
Weld "is gung ho on the stadium in Southie and he's ready to
play hardball. Even if that means making Menino's top-
priority convention center dependent on his acceptance to
the stadium" (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/16).
