A disagreement over the future of Franklin Park’s White Stadium in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood has community members, conservationists, school officials, private equity firms, and politicians pitted against one another.
Landing Studio, based in Somerville, Massachusetts, has partnered with the Emerald Necklace Conservancy (ENC), a Boston nonprofit, to create an alternative proposal for a tentative stadium planned in Franklin Park—a major node on Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace. Now, advocacy groups are fighting for their competing visions in the court of public opinion.
ENC’s Karen Mauney-Brodek told local reporters the Landing Studio proposal would deliver “a gold standard, state-of-the-art high school stadium that includes everything that the Boston Public Schools athletic department has requested,” and that the alternative design meets several needs expressed by surrounding communities.
How Did We Get Here?
Stantec shared renderings of a new stadium at Franklin Park in 2023, backed by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Jessica Berman, National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) commissioner. Boston Unity Soccer Partners (BUSP), a women-led investor group from the greater Boston area, pledged to invest $100 million in the project.
BUSP struck a deal with the city so that the new professional soccer team would have 20 games and 20 practices at the stadium ever year in its lease agreement. On the remaining days, it would be used by Boston Public Schools sports programs. The stadium would in turn be owned and operated by Boston Public Schools.
The City of Boston Planning Department authorized White Stadium’s demolition in August 2024 to make way for the new Stantec-designed stadium. Boston’s NWSL franchise, Bay FC, signed a lease agreement for the new stadium that December.
The new stadium was set to open in March 2026, city officials said. Then an opposition group, the Franklin Park Defenders, filed a lawsuit against the project. The Emerald Necklace Conservancy rallied further opposition against the plan, which had backing by local politicians.
Boston mayoral candidate Josh Kraft, the son of scion Robert Kraft, has said the Stantec-designed stadium for Bay FC could cost the city over $170 million, a statement sitting Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said is untrue.
Mayor Wu said it’s “likely” the Stantec-designed stadium will cost approximately $91 million, due to rising material costs.
In turn, Josh Kraft is in the hot seat over another soccer stadium his father is behind in Everett, Massachusetts, for the New England Revolution. Mayor Wu has criticized the Kraft Group for its handling of the Everett stadium.
Two Stadiums, Two Proposals
The Emerald Necklace Conservancy shared its alternative, $65 million proposal by Landing Studio for White Stadium this week at a virtual meeting. ENC’s proposal would keep White Stadium for Boston Public School student athletes only.
Under this proposal, BUSP would have to find somewhere else for Bay FC to play, denoting the primary difference between the competing stadium proposals.
Architecturally, the dueling proposals by Landing Studio and Stantec differ in myriad ways. For starters, the Stantec proposal would be able to accommodate 10,000 visitors. By comparison, the Landing Studio proposal has seating capacity for 5,000 visitors.
The Stantec proposal calls for a new, 62,500-square-foot, mixed use event space at the stadium’s southern end, named The Grove. The proposal drawn up by Landing Studio, by comparison, doesn’t have as many frills as the Stantec version.
That is to say, the alternative proposal does not have a private beer garden, nor enough seating capacity and amenities (a media center, private locker rooms, club seating, operations rooms, bars, lounges) necessary for a professional soccer franchise.
Noticeably, the Landing Studio proposal doesn’t have a canopy, like the Stantec design. The alternative proposal by Landing Studio also would preserve all of the site’s trees, emphasize openness and accessibility, and considers the overall tranquility of Franklin Park.
The Landing Studio proposal would rebuild the West Grandstand with expanded uses, and build a new East Grandstand with new park and community uses.
Lastly, existing basketball and tennis courts would remain in situ under the Landing Studio proposal, whereas the Stantec proposal would relocate these things, and uproot trees.
No matter the outcome, Bay FC will play its 2026 season at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where the New England Patriots play.
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