Boston Sports Megaplex

The Boston Sports Megaplex was a sports megaplex that was proposed in the mid-1990s to replace Fenway Park, Foxboro Stadium, and create a new convention center.

History

The proposed sites for this hybrid convention center-stadium were Summer [Street (Boston)|Summer Street] in South Boston or at the so-called Crosstown site along Melnea Cass Boulevard in Roxbury, adjacent to Boston's South End. Ultimately, the administration of Massachusetts Governor William Weld pushed for construction of a full "Megaplex" at the crosstown site, with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino favoring construction of a new, stand-alone convention center in South Boston. Ultimately, the residents of neither of these neighborhoods wanted a stadium, thus Menino backed out fearing it would affect his chance at re-election. The Fenway Park plan was cancelled after many "Save Fenway Park!" groups popped up to save the historic ballpark.
Ultimately, Fenway replacement plans were cancelled, the New [England Patriots] constructed a replacement stadium right next to Foxboro Stadium, and the Boston [Convention and Exhibition Center] was built near the waterfront. Many theories abound as to why the plan failed, but many factors have been deemed as being responsible.