Boston’s Matthews Arena Redevelopment Hits Asbestos

The original home of the Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics, the world’s oldest multi-purpose athletic building still in use and the oldest ice hockey arena, will be replaced by a 310,000-sq-ft complex across the entire two-acre footprint.

Asbestos will slow Northeastern University’s project to turn the former Matthews Arena into a new multipurpose athletics and recreation facility, scooting the completion date back nine months from fall 2028 to spring or summer 2029.

“Based on the extent of the affected area, the remediation plan will require very controlled removal and appropriate disposal of a substantial amount of soil across the site,” Brett Sweet, senior vice president for finance and administration at Northeastern, said in a statement. “The additional work will impact the timeline of the project.”