For more than 60 years, White Stadium in Boston has stood as a hub for Boston Public Schools and the surrounding Franklin Park neighborhood. Now, the 10,500-seat stadium is on the brink of destruction as the city plans to demolish the old structure and rebuild a brand new stadium.
The process began in 2023 when the city conducted surveys and took proposals from various private partners.
According to the City of Boston website, “White Stadium has been a vital space for Boston athletes and the community, but it now requires significant upgrades. It currently lacks the necessary facilities and amenities to serve as a comprehensive citywide resource and the true center for BPS Athletics.”
The new stadium would include a community room, concessions, running and walking tracks, green spaces along with the stadium itself.
To fund the project, the city has partnered with BOS Nation FC, the local women’s soccer team, who will cover half the cost of renovations in exchange for leasing the space for their games. The team would pay $400,000 per month. The soccer season begins in March 2026, and serves as a deadline for construction completion.
However, residents and some lawmakers are unhappy with the project. Some have criticized the cost to the city, currently estimated to be $91 million. Others, including the Franklin Park Defenders, are against the removal of nearly 145 trees that fall within conservancy grounds needed to expand the stadium.
Karen Mauney-Brodek, president of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, said, “For months, members of the communities surrounding Franklin Park have wanted to provide BPS student-athletes the up-to-date athletic facilities at White Stadium they have long deserved without displacing the football program, paving over two tennis courts and acres of public parkland, cutting down 145 trees, and enduring the many other downsides of building a massive 11,000-seat professional sports stadium in a public park.”
According to WCVB, construction crews have already descended on the stadium to begin demolition despite ongoing public hearings on the project. Many who oppose the current plans still wish to see White Stadium upgraded, but they would forgo the partnership with BOS Nation FC and opt for more affordable renovation rather than demolition and reconstruction.
