Patriots and Revolution Owner Robert Kraft's hunt for a new home for the MLS club "has led him to hold talks about building a soccer stadium in Dorchester at the site of the former Bayside Expo Center," according to a front-page piece by Leung & Krantz of the BOSTON GLOBE. Sources said that after considering properties in other parts of Boston, Kraft "has more recently focused on the Bayside site." UMass (which owns the Expo Center) officials "have been in active discussions with Kraft but do not appear to be close to an agreement." Any deal would likely involve UMass offering a long-term lease "for the land and Kraft paying to build the sports complex." A stadium "would offer UMass a source of revenue at a time when the university system has nearly reached the limit in its ability to borrow money for major expansions." Concern about traffic is "likely to be one of the major obstacles to a stadium plan in Dorchester." Meanwhile, UMass Boston is also developing a sports management program, which "could benefit from access to a professional team" (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/22)
