By Cary Shuman
City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata delivered powerful remarks at a press conference hosted by Mayor Michelle Wu to discuss the community benefits agreement negotiations with the Kraft Group for the proposed soccer stadium in Everett.
A rising star on the City Council whose dynamic speech and actions again demonstrated why she is being viewed as a strong contender for the 2026 Council presidency, Coletta stands in unity with Mayor Wu as the City of Boston seeks a mitigation package from the Kraft Group, who is planning to build a 25,000-seat professional soccer stadium on the Everett-Charlestown border across from the Encore Boston Harbor Resort/Casino.
Coletta began her remarks by crediting Wu’s leadership on the issue.
“I want to be sure to express gratitude to our incredible mayor, Michelle Wu, who is exemplifying leadership here and is fighting on behalf of not just Charlestown but Bostonians every single day,” said Coletta, who also represents East Boston and the North End on the City Council.
Coletta said she is firmly in accord with Charlestown’s “community leaders and residents in calling for the Kraft Group to provide and deliver this proud one square mile what he deserves – which is full transparency, serious mitigation, and transformative investment that meets the scale of this project and its impact.”
Agreeing with Mayor Wu’s statement that the Kraft Group’s offer of $750,000 in mitigation funds is not close to being sufficient, Coletta said, “It’s not even two percent of the $68 million [that Encore Boston Harbor paid in mitigation to the City of Boston] – to me that’s not a partnership, quite frankly, it’s an insult.”
“Let’s be honest about the stakes here,” continued Coletta. “This stadium could bring in thousands of fans into our neighborhood every single week. It could strain our infrastructure, challenge public safety, bring noise that neighbors haven’t asked for, impact air and water quality, and intensify congestion in an area that is already overwhelmed.”
Coletta Zapata said the traffic on soccer game nights would have a severe impact on nearby Sullivan Square, already known for its snarls and congestion.
“We’ve all sat in traffic in Sullivan Square and over the North Washington Street Bridge when a nearby venue [TD Garden] has a concert or a game,” said Coletta. “The reality is that without adequate planning and infrastructure improvements, it will only get worse. So the message is simple, we are not the parking lot, we are not the cut-through, we are not an afterthought – we are a proud community here in Charlestown. If the stadium is built, it must come with real promises, not vague ones.”
Interestingly, Coletta Zapata is a former high school scholar-athlete of note and Boston sports fan who knows that East Bostonians would relish the prospect of a short trip to Everett to view New England Revolution soccer games in a world-class venue. Mayor Wu also related that point, saying that she looks forward to the day when she and her children can enjoy Revolution games and not have to make the long trek to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, the longtime home field of the Revolution.
Following the press conference, Coletta Zapata was asked about the favorable mention she is garnering for council president. Coletta said while she was “honored” to be included in the early council presidency forecasts, her focus is squarely on the 2025 council election this fall.