The Revolution's hope to build a soccer-specific stadium "is not much closer to reality than it was in 2006, despite the current momentum" of the team, MLS and soccer in general, according to Callum Borchers of the BOSTON GLOBE. That means one of the league's "founding franchises is now one of the last without a tailor-made stadium." Club President Brian Bilello last week said that he "has 'no specific update' on the planning process, which has not advanced beyond preliminary discussions with public officials in Boston, Somerville, and Revere -- the three cities the team has said are potential stadium sites." On the "plus side, Boston, seemingly the club’s preferred destination, now has a mayor in Martin J. Walsh who said in June he is at least 'interested' in a soccer stadium." Bilello said that the team’s commitment to build a stadium "has not wavered and added the delay is largely due to the club’s 'high bar' for the right location." The team "is determined to put an 18,000- to 22,000-person arena near an MBTA subway stop," but it is "hard to find a tract of land that fits the bill." After privately financing Gillette Stadium, the Kraft family, which owns the Revolution and Patriots, has "not pledged to do the same for a soccer stadium that probably would cost more" than $100M. At the same time, "none of the three prospective cities has committed to spending public dollars on the project." Meanwhile, average attendance at home games "has increased in each of the last four seasons, punctuated by a whopping 32,766 at this year’s regular-season finale" (BOSTON GLOBE, 11/2).
