Boston’s White Stadium is in the midst of a massive renovation that would turn the historic stadium into the home of BOS Nation FC, a professional women’s soccer team, as well as a Boston Public Schools athletics facility. However, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy has long opposed the project, and now, the group is taking the city to court over the renovation.
White Stadium is on the South side of Boston in Franklin Park, between Jamaica Plain and Roxbury. The plans for the 10,500-seat stadium include a $91 million upgrade complete with new seating, tennis courts and other community amenities.
Related: Residents Oppose Demolition, Reconstruction of Boston's Historic White Stadium
The project has faced pushback for years, especially from the ENC group, which takes issue with the construction project’s destruction of over 145 trees from Franklin Park that fall within conservancy property. Left with no other options, the group is suing the City of Boston and the women’s professional soccer team that is partially funding the renovation.
According to the Boston Globe, ENC leaders released a statement saying, “Is Franklin Park, including acres of land inside and outside the walls of White Stadium, constitutionally protected public land? We believe that it is and we’re confident that when all the evidence is presented, the court will agree.”
Despite the conservancy group’s confidence, on Monday, the judge in the case threw out “essentially half” of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy’s case, “ruling they do not have standing to litigate if the project does or does not violate terms of the George R. White Trust, which bequeathed the stadium to the city in 1947.”
Without a key part of their argument in play, the ENC must prove the “project violates a state parkland law.”
White Stadium’s renovation has been opposed by those who live in the neighborhood as well. At several city council meetings throughout 2024 and early 2025, community members came to voice their opinions on the disruptive project. However, these complaints did not stop the city from beginning demolition just a few weeks ago.
Karen Mauney-Brodek, president of the ENC, told the Boston Globe, “We are hopeful the judge will see the facts. It’s pretty clear that this is public recreation land and it has been since 1883 or thereabouts.”
