Opened in 1910 and originally called the Boston Arena, Matthews Arena at Northeastern University is the oldest sports facility still in use today. Nearly as old as Northeastern itself, the space has hosted 115 years of sports events, speeches, concerts and more. Before its purchase in 1979, it served as the original home for well-known names such as the Bruins, Hurricanes and Celtics, who would hold frequent games and fundraising events in its center arena. After Northeastern acquired it, it became a central hub for many popular student-centered events, such as commencement, graduation, Springfest, homecoming concerts and of course, hockey. However, nothing is built to last. In May, Northeastern’s administration filed a letter of intent to the Boston Planning and Development Agency, describing a plan for demolition — and a larger, multi-purpose replacement.
The proposed arena currently has no name, being referred to only as “262 Botolph St. Multipurpose Athletic Facility.” On the City of Boston’s Planning Department website, a mockup of a tall, gray building (reminiscent of EXP) is shown towering over adjacent sidewalks and passers-by. While the specifics of what will be inside this facility have yet to be shared, the project description indicates the facility will be an “inviting and diverse space for current and future students and elevate the profile of collegiate athletics in Boston.” A slightly less vague hint for students unsatisfied by this description can be found in the original letter of intent, which proposes multi-purpose turf arenas, basketball courts and other recreational courts. This is the extent of what is available to the public regarding the new facility.
Structural integrity concerns are unfortunately not new when it comes to Matthews Arena. A year ago, a massive network of steel scaffolding was installed on the west end of the building in combination with a rope preventing students from walking on that side inside the arena. A report by environmental engineering firm Haley & Aldrich states that upon inspection of the soil surrounding the building, samples contained lead, asbestos and other toxic chemicals. This, in combination with the fact that Back Bay is built on constantly degrading man-made land, means the structure may soon become too unsteady to safely use.
“Matthews Arena is more than a century old and reaching the end of its useful life,” said a Northeastern spokesperson in a statement to the Huntington News.
This statement goes against the sentiment of a few hockey fans, who seem unwilling to accept that a new building is necessary.
Many others, however, agree that the arena is past saving in terms of structural integrity.
As Mike Davis of Northeastern Hockey Blog wrote in his opinion piece about Matthews closing back in May, “expect fans to flock from across the country for one more game to reminisce about the past, cheer for the Huskies of the present, and look with optimism to the future.”