Opposition grows over plans to renovate White Stadium for NWSL

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“What lies behind us is not only a monument to high school football, but maybe even a tombstone.”

BOSTON (AP) — As quarterback for the storied Boston Latin Academy, Jack Shapiro has long enjoyed playing his high school games at historic White Stadium.

But this season, the closest thing Shapiro will get to the 75-year-old stadium is the grass practice field in the shadow of the 10,000-seat facility. The stadium gates are padlocked most days in preparation for renovations to the aging stadium. In its place will be a gleaming $200 million sports facility for Boston’s new women’s professional soccer team, BOS Nation FC, scheduled to open in 2026.

“We’re all a little disappointed that we don’t have a home this year,” said Shapiro, a quarterback and safety for a high school team that was forced to play home games in West Roxbury, a 45-minute bus ride from school. Ta. The city school system will be able to take advantage of the new facility, but Boston Latin and another school will play at different locations.

The team said there is still hope to play some games at the new stadium, but it is not certain.

The city announced that the Latin team and another high school team that rely on White Stadium for their home games will have to play elsewhere due to potential damage to the playing surface from cleats. But he promised that all of the city’s schools could host season-ending games there, including the championship game.

“The biggest worry is that we get blocked,” the team’s coach, Rocco Zizza, said as he stood outside the stadium. “In many ways, what lies behind us will not only be a monument to high school football, but maybe even a tombstone.”

Will Boston lose important green space?

Shapiro and his team are part of a growing movement against the venture, which includes conservationists, environmentalists and neighborhood activists.

Many opponents worry that if the city were to partner with a company, the public would lose access to the stadium and the important green space it sits on. Supporters say their plan is the best hope for bringing women’s professional soccer to Boston and providing new equipment and facilities for the city’s cash-strapped school system.

Surrounded by some of the most diverse and impoverished neighborhoods, White Stadium is a great place for residents to take their morning walk, play high school sports, attend concerts, attend meetings, and send their children to summer camp. It has long been used as a shelter. The approximately 530-acre (214.48 ha) Franklin Park, which also includes the Franklin Park Zoo, is part of Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace system of city parks.

Louis Eliza, who lives across the street from the park and is also a party to the lawsuit seeking to block the project, said the project would cause “tremendous damage to the environment and the community.”

The lawsuit claims the project’s approval process was rushed without sufficient community input and that transferring public land for private use violates the state constitution. Opponents also argue that the thousands of fans attending BOS Nation FC games will overwhelm the park and cause widespread traffic and noise problems in nearby areas.

Instead, they are pushing to renovate the stadium for students at a cost of less than $20 million.

“The changes they are going to make will destroy the park’s antiquities and change the character of the park,” says Elisa, president of the Garrison-Trotter Neighborhood Association.

Women’s soccer in the city center

Supporters, led by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, argue that the partnership is the only way to fund much-needed renovations and will bring about positive change for the neighborhood and the students who rely on the facility. are. In recent decades, repeated efforts to restore the stadium have stalled due to lack of funding, design concerns and opposition from nearby residents.

The stadium will be managed by the city’s schools, but the operation and maintenance costs will be borne by the teams.

“The stadium has been in need of repair and renovation for a very long time. The tracks are falling apart and we know the facilities are not up to state standards. Our young people deserve better.” Wu said the project is in line with the park’s objectives, with an urban wilderness area meant for quiet enjoyment and other parts like a stadium “aimed at bringing people in.” He added that there is.

“This will reinvigorate our always-held mission for White Stadium to be a hub for our youth, student-athletes and the community around them,” she continued.

A state-of-the-art stadium for students

Jennifer Epstein, general owner of the team, which plays in the National Women’s Soccer League, said the stadium plan would allow the team to “play in the heart of the city” and build closer relationships with the school system and community. said.

She estimated that the new stadium would serve tens of thousands of students with three times the current programs and double access to the community. It is also one of the few stadiums built specifically for women’s professional soccer. The New England Revolution men’s team is building its own Boston-based facility.

“This public-private-community partnership is truly exciting and will transform White Stadium into a first-class professional stadium,” Epstein said. “It would be really exciting to have everyone there.”

The stadium debate has involved numerous meetings and hundreds of conversations over the past 17 months. So far, proponents have won every step of the permitting process, and the city hopes to sign a lease in the coming weeks, with demolition to begin soon after.

As stadium costs mount, the likelihood of litigation increases.

But recently, supporters have faced unexpected challenges.

Wu acknowledged this week that the city’s renovation costs, which were split 50-50 between the team and the city, had nearly doubled to $91 million due to design changes and rising construction costs. Time is also an issue, with supporters warning in court documents that delaying the case’s March trial could jeopardize the project. Supporters are optimistic that the case will ultimately be dismissed.

The team is also seeking input on its name after its Too Many Balls marketing campaign launched in October was criticized as transphobic. The team said in a blog post that it has begun the process of “seeking, listening and reflecting on input regarding the team name.”

Opponents say they want a professional women’s team but won’t have one at Franklin Park, but they’re still enjoying the bad press this time around.

“We are more confident than ever that Franklin Park will be protected from their plans to turn this historic park into a huge sports and entertainment complex.” Franklin Park opposes this plan・Renee Stacey Welsh, a member of the Defenders, said in a statement.