The controversial construction project on White Stadium, located within Boston’s Franklin Park, has been on the minds of many in the Greater Boston area. Predicted to be finished in March 2026, the project would offer an extended 15 hours of practice for the public, but currently Boston Public Schools sports teams have to work around the loss of their home stadium.
White Stadium was originally built in 1949 to be used as a facility for vibrant community gatherings and the venue for BPS student athletics. After a fire in the late ‘90s, part of the stadium seating area became unusable, and following years of neglect, the stadium’s team locker rooms and showers were deemed useless. Redevelopment was desperately needed in order to maintain the stadium’s vital role in BPS sports.
Although the closure impacts all BPS athletes, Boston Latin School and Boston Latin Academy (BLA) have been hit especially hard because White Stadium was their home field. Both schools have had to cancel or postpone sporting events due to the stadium’s closure. Varsity football captain Charlie Hauck (I) looks at the bright side of playing in a new stadium, stating, “The loss of White Stadium has not been too much of a challenge for the BLS football team.” The temporary replacement field, Clemente, is considerably closer to BLS and makes travel much easier, allowing more students to attend games, causing coaches and players alike to feel that Clemente is a real home field.
Regardless of the convenience, Ethan Sardina (I), a member of the varsity football team, says, “The atmosphere just is not as good.” Many Wolfpack players comment on the usually crowded BLS versus BLA game and believe that it didn’t receive as much turnout due to the closure. The game took place at the West Roxbury Education Complex’s field on a Saturday — abnormal for a football game — which could have affected attendance. For other games, however, game attendance has not drastically changed.
Despite many senior athletes no longer being able to take their final lap around White Stadium to signify their last time playing for BLS, Clemente Field’s usage has made the change less drastic for day-to-day sports activities.
Looking to the future, the coming improvements of the stadium include many new amenities, such as study spaces for student-athletes to get ahead on homework, which would relieve some of the stress from BLS students and other BPS student athletes. An increased eight-lane track for cross country will also be added, providing a better space for practices and giving the BPS teams a home field to compete at.
The stadium will also be made accessible for handicapped users, since the grandstands have remained inaccessible for many viewers. Mayor Michelle Wu promises free public Wi-Fi for the entire stadium and a Boston Unity Mentorship Program for BPS students.
A huge benefit to the construction is that over 30 million dollars of the costs will be covered by the Boston Unity Soccer Partners, lessening the impact on Boston’s finances and taxes. The group has also pledged to pay the cost of maintenance for the stadium.
Some residents in the area remain concerned about potential traffic and parking issues around Franklin Park, but Mayor Wu hopes that public transportation will be utilized instead of private vehicles.
The pros of this project outweigh the cons — although sports teams will have to deal with the change from a new field, they will benefit from the renewed stadium’s new amenities and increased size.
