By Seth Daniel

Mayor Carlo DeMaria celebrated the 125th year with a bang on Tuesday night, Jan. 2, in his Inaugural Address at Everett High School by announcing – somewhat surprisingly – that the City plans to move the Stadium on the Parkway to the new Seven Acre Park on the old GE site.

It would move a hallowed hall for football and sports on the Parkway – one where 12 Everett High football Super Bowls were achieved – to another part of the City.

The mayor said the great new parkland at GE would need programming, and he and others in the administration believe it’s time to work with the Council and School Department to move the Stadium.

“This new stadium will replace our current stadium, which as we all know is located in a dense residential neighborhood with limited parking,” he said. “I have heard, loud and clear, for years how the neighborhood feels about needing to perform elaborate searches for parking spots on game days and graduation. By moving the stadium to Seven Acre Park, we will be able to partner with the businesses in the area, like Boston Coach and BNY Mellon, whose large lots are not heavily utilized on evenings and weekends.

“We will include a regulation high school track, a field house, and facility to highlight and commemorate the strong tradition of our champion athletes- and preserve the WWII honor wall from the old stadium,” he continued. “This stadium will be part of a larger, top-of-the-line, recreational space made possible in part by our partnership with Wynn Resorts, who are building a new playground in this area in exchange for the opportunity to redevelop the underutilized Lynde playground.”

The announcement came during the City’s grand Inaugural celebration on Tuesday, which highlighted one year of celebration of the 125th Anniversary of Everett becoming a City. The mayor, City Council and School Committee were all inaugurated under the watchful eyes of Gov. Charlie Baker – who was the first sitting governor of the state to attend an Everett inaugural, according to City Clerk Sergio Cornelio.

The highlight of the night, however, was DeMaria’s 42-minute speech.

In addition to the Stadium announcement, he hit heavy on transportation – especially public transportation.

He said his administration is committed to building a transportation network to augment the existing MBTA operations – much like the old days when a public-private partnership operated trolleys up and down Broadway.

“We need to expand the successful bus lane within the City of Everett and beyond,” he said. “Imagine a dedicated bus lane running from the Square One Mall in Saugus all the way to Sullivan Station in Somerville. Imagine how much time could be reduced and how many commuter vehicles could be removed from the region with the help of our neighboring communities. This year I want to work with the state and local officials to explore this endeavor. We can and we will build a local transportation system to augment the current MBTA.”

Mayor DeMaria also talked about affordable housing, the coming Wynn Boston Harbor casino project and the opiate crisis – among many other initiatives.

The speech was well received by the elected officials on stage, with several moments of applause.

Wonderful music was provided by the Everett High String Orchestra before, during and after the inauguration.