Efforts to rebuild Boston's White Stadium, home of BOS Nation FC, delayed until mid-2026 due to permitting and design changes. The project includes demolition, new construction, and tree removal, with plans to revitalize the stadium for Boston Public Schools athletics. Boston Unity Soccer Partners leads a public-private partnership to fund over 50% of the renovation costs.
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White Stadium, the future home of BOS Nation FC, may not be ready in time for the start of the women's soccer club's inaugural 2026 season, the city of Boston revealed in a public meeting Dec. 12.
The updated timeline by the city noted that the stadium's reconstruction is now slated for completion in the spring or summer of 2026.
In its announcement, municipal officials said that demolition of the old stadium will soon get under way and last until next spring, to be immediately followed by new construction at the site through the winter of 2026 until its conclusion.
Boston and BOS Nation FC previously maintained that the stadium would be completed in time for the start of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) season in March 2026. However, permitting, transportation planning and changes in design have delayed the construction's start, according to The Blazing Musket, an online news site covering New England soccer.
When the Boston Parks Commission approved the demolition in August, Mayor Michelle Wu's office said the city was working on signing the lease by early fall with demolition due to start soon after. An update at an October transportation meeting noted that demolition and construction would start in the late fall.
The partnership between the city and Boston Unity Soccer Partners (BUSP), a professional sports enterprise founded and led by women, has yet to sign a lease, which needs to be done before demolition begins, The Blazing Musket reported Dec. 15.
Boston officials said in the Dec. 12 meeting that the lease and construction management plans are being finalized.
The public forum mainly focused on the city's tree removal plan, which would occur before demolition. Boston's recent tree canopy ordinance requires a survey of all city-owned trees on a construction site with a trunk 3 in. in diameter or wider. A public hearing also must be held before trimming or removing any healthy trees.
The city plans to remove 145 trees around White Stadium, including 30 that are deemed healthy. The rest of the trees are in poor condition, invasive, non-native or causing structural conflict. In an attempt to offset the loss, Boston will plant 500 trees in Franklin Park over the next 10 years, 67 of which will be within the project site and planted as soon as possible.
BOS Nation FC team representatives were not available for comment during the meeting and did not respond to requests from The Blazing Musket for comment regarding what it plans to do if the stadium is not playable when it enters its inaugural season.
New Stadium Also Will Serve Boston Public Schools Athletics
White Stadium was constructed in 1945 in the Playstead area of Franklin Park. Since then, it has served as a home for many Boston athletes and community members.
Unfortunately, the stadium is currently in a state of disrepair and in need of revitalization, according to the project page on the city of Boston's website. It does not meet current codes or accessibility requirements, and lacks the spaces and amenities needed to be a citywide resource for Boston Public Schools (BPS) athletics.
Besides being home to the NWSL pro soccer club, the city and BPS envision revitalizing White Stadium as a centerpiece of BPS athletics by making a significant investment in the stadium and athletic facilities.
In 2023, Boston launched an updated needs assessment of the facility. The assessment found that many spaces needed to be improved and expanded.
As a result, the planned improvements at White Stadium will include an expanded staff office, a modernized press box, upgraded locker rooms and an eight-lane track.
New BPS programming also may include a strength and conditioning suite, a gymnasium, an indoor turf field, a community space and a student resource space.
The goal for this public-private partnership is to reimagine White Stadium as a hub for BPS athletics and a treasure of the local community, in addition to bringing a professional women's soccer team to Boston.
Boston Unity to Pay for More Than Half of Project
Boston officials issued a request for proposals in April 2023 for a public-private partnership to reimagine and reinvest in White Stadium. Following that, the city received one response to the RFP from Boston Unity that was reviewed at a community meeting later in the year.
Per the evaluation committee's recommendation, Boston designated BUSP as the Preferred Proposer for the lease of the White Stadium West Grandstand and Adjacent Areas. A designation is the first step which allows the city to enter into negotiations with the selected partner and is the beginning of a design and programming process.
Since designating Boston Unity, Boston has held a series of community engagements on critical items like transportation, community benefits, and investments in Franklin Park. The ultimate agreement between the city and BUSP will incorporate the community's feedback, needs and priorities.
The White Stadium project is funded in part by a unique public-private partnership with Boston Unity, and a major philanthropic campaign that began earlier in 2024. For its part, BUSP is making a capital investment of more than 50 percent of the total cost for the stadium's renovation and expansion.
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