Kerry eyes UMass for concert site
Harbor campus to limit turnout
Blocked from staging a gift concert for city residents on the Esplanade, US Senator John F. Kerry has set his sights on the Boston campus of the University of Massachusetts as a possible site for a free Boston Pops concert and fireworks during the Democratic National Convention.
The concert, which would attract less than a tenth of the 500,000 people expected at the Esplanade event, must get a permit from the city of Boston. Seth Gitell, a spokesman for Mayor Thomas M. Menino, said yesterday that he had no comment on the plan to stage the event at Columbia Point, adjacent to the John F. Kennedy Library.
A statement by Boston 2004, the convention host committee, mentioned the Boston Pops by name, but it did not include James Taylor, a Kerry friend who was slated to play at the Esplanade event. Kerry's campaign declined to say if the lineup would change and said details must be worked out, including reconfirming who will perform.
"Hopefully, we have identified a location that works and addresses the concerns that have been raised," the statement said.
First proposed for the Esplanade on the night of July 28, the event was blocked a week ago by state officials who feared that it would draw as many as 500,000 people, tying up traffic and police at a time when public safety resources would already be stretched to the limit. Back Bay neighbors bridled at the idea of adding more noise and traffic to a week already jam-packed with disruption. Kerry aides said at the time that they would seek an alternate venue.
"Senator Kerry wanted to find a way to share a classic Boston experience, a Pops concert and fireworks," said campaign adviser Michael Meehan. "He's hoping to recreate that kind of special moment to thank the people of Massachusetts for hosting the convention.
If the event is held at UMass-Boston, the concert would be staged on the large, circular lawn in front of the new campus center, which faces Dorchester Bay, a spokesman for the university said. The campus, which hosted a presidential debate in 2000, may be attractive from a security standpoint because it has just one road leading in, allowing access to be strictly controlled, said the spokesman, Robert Connolly. He estimated the proposed site could accommodate 15,000 to 20,000 people.
Organizers may attempt to control access to the event by requiring tickets, which would be distributed free to the public but would allow officials to limit attendance, according to several of the event planners. Parking on campus could be restricted, as it was for the debate, with shuttle buses to run from parking lots at the nearby Bayside Expo Center; concert-goers could also travel via the MBTA's Red Line to the JFK-UMass stop.
Governor Mitt Romney said yesterday he didn't know the details of the new concert plan and would leave it to law-enforcement officials to decide if the site is appropriate. But, he said, the new location would be preferable to the Esplanade.
"My understanding is that it's a much more scaled-down event, a ticketed event, one involving delegates and guests for the Democratic National Convention," Romney said in answer to a question at a State House press conference. "It would also be a place that's more securable, so it has a number of advantages relative to the prior application."
Public safety officials at the university are studying the proposal and may call in campus police from other UMass campuses to assist, if the plan moves forward, Connolly said.
Approval from the state Executive Office of Public Safety, which raised strong objections to the proposed Esplanade concert, would not be required for the UMass event, a department spokeswoman said. A spokeswoman for the MBTA said she was not aware of the revised proposal and could not confirm that the agency had been consulted.
Rejecting Kerry's request for a Pops concert on the Esplanade -- close to the Fleet Center, where the convention is being held -- state officials said it posed a security risk and traffic problems the city couldn't handle. Secretary of Public Safety Edward A. Flynn said that the personnel needed to secure the event would not be available and that a three-week planning period would not be sufficient. He estimated that 200,000 to 500,000 people might attend.
The Kerry campaign began the application process in May, proposing a free July 28 event featuring James Taylor, the Boston Pops, and a fireworks display. Aides described it as a way to give something back to the people of Boston and said Kerry was "quite hell-bent for it." After the Esplanade plan faltered, campaign advisers said Kerry would still try to host an event "to thank the people of Boston."
The city will host a Pops concert at City Hall Plaza, which officials have said poses less of a security problem because it will take place on July 25, the Sunday night before the convention begins.
Rick Klein of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Jenna Russell can be reached at jrussell@globe.com. 