The Boston Planning Department Board voted 4-0 last Thursday to authorize the first phase of renovations to White Stadium as the Wu administration moves ahead with a controversial partnership with a professional women’s soccer franchise, the Boston Unity Soccer Partners.

The approval clears the way for improvements to the stadium’s West Grandstand, the Grove area east of the facility, the scoreboard, and outdoor spaces. The entire project is tabbed at $100 million, with $50 million being borrowed by the city for its portion and $50 million pledged by Boston Unity for its part of the rehabilitation.

The overall project is also subject to a pending lawsuit brought by abutters, calling themselves the Franklin Park Defenders, and a trial month of February 2025 has been scheduled in Suffolk Superior Court’s Civil Division.

Voting in favor were Chair Patricia Rojas, and members Raheem Shepard, Matt O’Malley, and Kate Bennett. Planning board member Ted Landsmark recused himself, citing a conflict of interest.

“The community does have a need for this, and I also support it,” said Rojas, who asked several questions of city and project officials before casting her vote. “It’s difficult to see something change…but we are also responsible for planning and executing for the future. We all have to weight those and hold both and make a decision.”

Added O’Malley: “Ultimately this can and will be transformative for White Stadium and Franklin Park. The case has been made quite strongly and quite succinctly.”

Bennett said she supported the project but added that more community input and communication are needed on the details of transportation agreements, stadium usage agreements, and lease agreements – all of which have yet to be produced.

Councillor Henry Santana agreed with that sentiment. “This project has the potential to positively impact our youth but it’s important we follow up with transportation and engage all stakeholders,” he said.

Councillors Erin Murphy and Ed Flynn spoke against the renovation, saying they felt it had been rushed.

Murphy said they ought to be able to find enough city funds to renovate the stadium without a partner like Boston Unity – noting that two BPS football teams have already been displaced from the stadium due to the partnership.

“They found $35 million to fix Clougherty Pool in Charlestown and if we could find that money – and I know we could find it if we want to – for White Stadium, we should think about that before we give away this asset in our neighborhood,” she added.

Abutters and Franklin Park advocates Dr. Jean McGuire and Louis Elisa issued a letter of concern ahead of the vote last week, writing, “Mayor Wu is moving forward at lightning speed with a plan for a 30-year lease of White Stadium to a group of billionaire investors…It is bad for Boston’s schoolchildren, bad for our neighborhoods, and bad for Boston.”

Jamaica Plain state Rep. Sam Montano and City Councillor Ben Weber gave their support to the renovation via in-person testimony.
Attorney Sammy Nabulsi, an outside legal advisor on the project for the city, addressed the ongoing lawsuit, saying a preliminary injunction seeking to halt the project was overruled and the judge also found for the overall case to succeed.

“In late March of this year the Superior Court issued in a very well-reasoned and very well-written 32-page decision finding that the plaintiffs…were unlikely to succeed on the merits of any of their claims in this litigation,” he said. “The case is ongoing…but we hope this case is going to be over and done with no later than the spring.”

The approval also came with a detail-rich, 38-page memo explaining some of the operations, but still lacking the nuts and bolts of how things will work on the ground. Part of the vote by the board allowed Planning Director Arthur Jemison to pound out those details in the coming months with Boston Unity.

The memo did spell out a four-tier list of priority usage, with major city events and BPS events as the top tier. Second tier includes BPS games and up to 20 Boston Unity soccer games. Third tier includes BPS practices and other city events, and the fourth tier is a Boston Unity practices.

Boston Unity games are to start no later than 8:30 p.m. and stadium noise cannot exceed 80 decibels in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Boston Unity also agreed to a Community Annual Fund that will provide $500,000 to the community every year, growing at 3 percent each year – along with $1 from each ticket sold being routed to Franklin Park maintenance. The Community Fund proceeds would be distributed to local organizations, including Franklin Park improvements, youth sports and development programs, health and wellness in the Black and Brown populations, and investment in local businesses.

But questions arose over the community oversight committee, called the White Stadium Neighborhood Advisory Council (WSNAC), that would be a watchdog for the community moving forward. While the concept is applauded, the memo indicates that control of the WSNAC would lie with the soccer team and the city, giving concern about the autonomy of the group.

“WSNAC will be co-chaired by the Parks Department and (Boston Unity), who shall together be authorized to make changes to the composition, operation, and responsibilities of the WSNAC, in consultation with the membership, without resort to the BPDA,” the memo stated.

Likewise, critics have voiced issues over the “other events” frequently referenced, but not defined – with detractors worried about the Stadium becoming a concert venue.

“Team Events refers to National Women’s Soccer League games hosted by Boston Unity and other private Boston Unity events in the stadium allowed by the city but excluding Boston Unity practices and Boston Unity private gatherings in areas within the West Grandstand,” the memo read.

Also of interest are transportation aspects that were better defined but not fully developed yet in the memo. The proposed plan calls for a maximum of 145 shuttle trips on game days that would travel to MBTA stations in Dorchester, including Four Corners/Geneva and Fields Corner. Satellite parking outside the city hasn’t been identified or defined.

“Prior to execution of the TAPA, the following details about the shuttle system will be finalized, (including) location and quantity of parking spaces provided at remote parking lots,” the memo noted.