Revolution Heading to Downtown Boston?

Today's Boston Globe reports that the New England Revolution of MLS is looking at sites for a new, soccer-specific stadium in downtown Boston.  The team currently plays in Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, more than 27 miles from downtown.

One proposed location would be next to I-93, for those crazy enough to drive in Boston, but also near South Station and the MBTA Red Line.

Although averaging 16,681 per game this year, the attendance looks sparse in a large football stadium.  I can recall when the Philadelphia Atoms were thrilled with a crowd on 10,000 in the mid-'70s, but playing in the 70,000 seat Veterans Stadium, that number seemed paltry.  From a financial standpoint the Revolution president said the high end luxury boxes at Gillette are not as appealing as they would be at a smaller facility.  “I’ve been to other teams’ stadiums, and it just doesn’t compare,” Michael Johnson, 43, a 15-year Revs season ticketholder from Milford told the Globe. “I look at a place like Portland and I almost cry every time I see the support they get.”

The Globe article has a sidebar comparing distances from downtown for the other MLS teams and shows the Revolution further than all but Dallas at 27.5 miles.  The Union is 17.7 miles from Center City Philadelphia.