With the sale of the team to Bill Chisholm for a record $6.1 billion, questions are mounting about whether the Celtics will remain at their iconic home on Causeway Street or seek to build a new, team-owned venue elsewhere in Boston, potentially Seaport.
TD Garden, which opened in 1995 to replace the original Boston Garden, is more than just an arena to Bostonians—it’s a landmark where the city’s sports legends are celebrated and nearly 3.5 million fans gather each year. The Celtics’ lease at TD Garden runs through 2036, but unlike many major franchises, the team does not own the building. Instead, they are tenants of Delaware North, the parent company of the Bruins, and receive little direct revenue from the arena’s operations.
This arrangement has financial consequences, especially as the Celtics face a staggering payroll and luxury tax burden in the coming years. Owning their own arena could provide a major new revenue stream and help the team stay competitive, fueling speculation that Chisholm may eventually push for a new Celtics-owned facility—possibly in the rapidly developing Seaport district or elsewhere in the Boston area.
Outgoing owner Wyc Grousbeck has downplayed the likelihood of a move in the near future, emphasizing the Celtics’ strong partnership with the Bruins’ owners and the extensive renovations already invested in TD Garden. “There’s room for one arena in Boston, not two,” Grousbeck said, stressing that any future changes would likely be a joint effort with Delaware North.
Still, the possibility of leaving TD Garden is deeply unpopular among fans, who see the arena as an essential part of the Celtics’ identity and Boston’s sports culture. For the next decade, the team’s future efforts for banner 19 remain tied to TD Garden, but with new ownership and mounting financial pressures, the question of where the Celtics will call home in the years ahead is very much in play.