Could the Bill Chisholm Group look to build a new arena for the Boston Celtics? There are a number of very good arguments in favor of doing so, from the freedom of not having to play second fiddle when it comes to scheduling one’s home arena and the possibility of housing a WNBA ball club with similar priority for building usage to the considerable other revenue streams such a building can generate to help keep the Celtics as competitive as possible.
Such a course of action for the new Celtics ownership group is very much on the table, even if no major statements to such an effect have been forthcoming from the group since control of the team became official in August. To try to get a bead on where such an arena might be built, the Boston Globe’s Shirley Leung took a closer look at several potential locations in greater Boston where a stadium project would potentially work.
Let’s look at the potential arena sites and some of the more relevant concerns with each.
Everett
Upside(s): Nearly 100 acres to work with; near Encore Boston Harbor casino
Downside(s): Weak public transit
Widett Circle
Upside(s): Already floated for Olympics arena
Downside(s): Would be a complex construction project
West Station
Upside(s): Could be part of Allston’s ‘Big Dig’ redevelopment project
Downside(s): Would be a complex construction project
Former Gillette World Shaving Headquarters
Upside(s): Among most desirable locations in terms of proximity to downtown, views
Downside(s): Would not be the first arena project chased off by competing interests
Dorchester Bay City
Upside(s): Solid location, transport options
Downside(s): Would need to honor community commitments like affordable housing (not exactly a downside as much as a challenge)
Suffolk Downs
Upside(s): Plenty of space to build a complex
Downside(s): On far northern edge of Boston; transportation is poor
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: If the Celtics invested in a new arena, where might it be built?