Widett Circle refers to a locale and its encircling roadway in

South Boston South Boston (colloquially known as Southie) is a densely populated neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, located south and east of the Fort Point Channel and abutting Dorchester Bay (Boston Harbor), Dorchester Bay. It has under ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

that has long been used as a wholesale food market, but which has been proposed for several redevelopment projects. Located in an industrial zone, it is situated between a bend in

Interstate 93 Interstate 93 (I-93) is an Interstate Highway in the New England states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont in the United States. Spanning approximately along a north–south axis, it is one of three primary Interstate Highways ...

and the

MBTA The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (abbreviated MBTA and known colloquially as "the T") is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in Greater Boston, Massachusetts. The MBTA transit network in ...

rail yards, near the Massachusetts Avenue connector to I-93. Widett Circle was named for Harold Widett who was the attorney for the meat packers union. Potential uses for the site have included: *An additional rail layover for the

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (abbreviated MBTA and known colloquially as "the T") is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in Greater Boston, Massachusetts. The MBTA transit network in ...

(MBTA) *A trash recycling and transfer facility *A new 28,000-seat stadium for the

New England Revolution The New England Revolution are an American professional association football, soccer club based in the Greater Boston area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. It is on ...

soccer team, on a city-owned parcel between Widett Circle and I-93 *A floodable watershed *The main stadium for the

Boston bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics The Boston 2024 Partnership was a short-lived, privately funded bid to bring the 2024 Summer Olympics to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. The official proposal was submitted on September 12, 2014. On January 8, 2015, the United States Olympic ...

(which was abandoned in 2015 due to popular opposition) In December 2022, the MBTA Board authorized the agency to negotiate to purchase the property for use as a layover yard. The purchase price is expected to be around $200 million, with construction expected to take three years. The new yard will likely include provisions for building an

air rights In real estate, air rights are the property interest in the "space" above the Earth's surface. Generally speaking, owning or renting land or a building includes the right to use and build in the space above the land without interference by oth ...

project in the future and may reduce the need for layover facility at the former

Beacon Park Yard Beacon Park Yard was a CSX Transportation rail yard in Allston, Boston, now owned by Harvard University. The yard opened in 1890 on the site of a former horse racing, trotting park, from which it took its name. It was closed in 2013 following the ...

in Allston. The MBTA took possession of the property in April 2023.

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

was also interested in laying over trains at Widett Circle.

References

{{coord, 42.3360, N, 71.0625, W, type:landmark, display=title South Boston MBTA Commuter Rail