The town of Foxborough, Mass., and the Kraft Group have "reached a temporary agreement" in a dispute over interpretation of a longstanding lease agreement for Gillette Stadium, according to Johanna Seltz of the BOSTON GLOBE. Town Manager William Keegan said that the Kraft Group "pays Foxborough a portion of the revenue from each ticket sold for games and other events there." He added that the money -- typically $2-3M annually -- "represents a payment in lieu of taxes." The Kraft Group in the past year "made improvements to the stadium that included removing about 2,000 seats to make room for a new lounge area that is available to season-ticket holders for an additional fee." The stadium has close to 70,000 seats altogether. Keegan said that the town "contended that it was losing money from the removed seats and was entitled to a portion -- about $31,000 -- of the new revenue from the Optum Field Lounge." The Kraft Group "disagreed." The two sides have "agreed to a one-year compromise that split the difference." Keegan said that the Kraft Group as a result "recently paid the town $15,595." He added that the current lease "includes a varying rate for every ticket sold, with the town getting $1.52 per ticket for professional football and soccer events and $2.64 for all other events" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/19).
