Franklin Park - White Stadium Renovation

[kingofsheeba]

What is it about Gillette that makes it an embarrassment? Location and lack of solid transit aside, it stacks up very well when compared to the other soccer stadiums that will be used for the 2026 World Cup.

Location is outrageous. Stadium is not.

 

[LexSEDotVille]

I'm conflicted - if Franklin didn't already have the 'public' golf corse taking up most of it's footprint I'd be more on board. This just seemingly ads more limitations to the use of the park's facilities for the general public.

It's an odd feeling to walk Circuit Dr., see all that open green space, but not be 'allowed' inside - I have concerns this may send similar signals to visitors.

 

[HenryAlan]

Why would you build a soccer stadium with no rapid transit connection?

What do you mean build? The stadium is already there, this is a renovation/improvement of an existing facility. And it's not entirely true that it's not served by transit. It's fairly close to both Stony Brook and Green Street on the Orange Line, and quite close to the Columbus Ave. bus lanes. This could be a really great activation of a somewhat languishing resource.

 

[chrisbrat]

Amen ^^^

 

[FK4]

I'm conflicted - if Franklin didn't already have the 'public' golf corse taking up most of it's footprint I'd be more on board. This just seemingly ads more limitations to the use of the park's facilities for the general public.

It's an odd feeling to walk Circuit Dr., see all that open green space, but not be 'allowed' inside - I have concerns this may send similar signals to visitors.

I’m with you. And the stadium is not original to the park, either. Honestly they should just tear it down and revert to parkland. There are plenty of other and better places for athletic facilities. And the community is never going to agree on what to do with this stadium, if you read the article, that’s clear. And I doubt this project will actually happen, either.

 

[bigeman312]

I’m with you. And the stadium is not original to the park, either. Honestly they should just tear it down and revert to parkland. There are plenty of other and better places for athletic facilities. And the community is never going to agree on what to do with this stadium, if you read the article, that’s clear. And I doubt this project will actually happen, either.

As someone who uses this stadium four times a week, and is never ever alone there, I strongly disagree. The stadium and track are more of a public asset that serves the mission of the park than the massive inequitable golf facility that has many many times the footprint. Now THAT should be reverted to parkland.

 

[FK4]

As someone who uses this stadium four times a week, and is never ever alone there, I strongly disagree. The stadium and track are more of a public asset that serves the mission of the park than the massive inequitable golf facility that has many many times the footprint. Now THAT should be reverted to parkland.

Agree with that too, but that will never happen

 

[Kinopio]

I live near Franklin Park and go there often. My #1 concern is parking. By that I mean they better not build more of it by cutting down trees, paving over fields, etc. Franklin Park should be the place Bostonians go to in order to escape cars, noise, etc. Keep it as a park, not a parking lot.

 

[king_vibe]

Location is outrageous. Stadium is not.

It has a bridge over nothing and a lighthouse 40 miles from the ocean.

 

[kingofsheeba]

It has a bridge over nothing and a lighthouse 40 miles from the ocean.

People like that?

 

[king_vibe]

People like that?

I guess! I mean Disneyworld is America’s #1 tourist draw.

 

[chrisbrat]

One step closer to happening

 

[BosDevelop]

One step closer to happening

Doesn't it "have" to happen now? Would the principals have put up all that money for the franchise unless the stadium renovations were a go? Where else could they play?

 

[king_vibe]

Doesn't it "have" to happen now? Would the principals have put up all that money for the franchise unless the stadium renovations were a go? Where else could they play?

Harvard Stadium. Nickerson Field. The stupid new soccer field that Wentworth is building for some reason.

 

[Bananarama]

Harvard Stadium. Nickerson Field. The stupid new soccer field that Wentworth is building for some reason.

Wentworth's life science complex is replacing their existing field. Very obvious reason to move it...

 

[HenryAlan]

Doesn't it "have" to happen now? Would the principals have put up all that money for the franchise unless the stadium renovations were a go? Where else could they play?

Along with the places @king_vibe mentions, they could even play at White Stadium as is, if they had to do so, but I'm pretty sure they want to treat this as a high level professional sports franchise, which means none of those places are suitable without some work.

 

[king_vibe]

Wentworth's life science complex is replacing their existing field. Very obvious reason to move it...

There's a very obvious reason to replace the existing field, but no obvious reason to build a new one. Why does a Division III school in the Commonwealth Coast Conference need a 2.5 acre athletic field roughly 1 foot from Roxbury Crossing.

 

[Bananarama]

There's a very obvious reason to replace the existing field, but no obvious reason to build a new one. Why does a Division III school in the Commonwealth Coast Conference need a 2.5 acre athletic field roughly 1 foot from Roxbury Crossing.

So you want the school to disband their field sports programs? Or just put it... somewhere else in their 1/4 mile campus radius...?
The existing one is heavily used. Don't see why being Division 3 precludes them from having a facility.

 

[king_vibe]

So you want the school to disband their field sports programs? Or just put it... somewhere else in their 1/4 mile campus radius...?
The existing one is heavily used. Don't see why being Division 3 precludes them from having a facility.

Suffolk University, another CCC school, uses a city-owned park in East Boston and they routinely outperform Wentworth. Sure, Wentworth can do what they want with their property, but surely we can all agree that a dedicated sports facility for a fourth-rate sports program is an extremely decadent waste of transit-adjacent land.

 

[Bananarama]

Suffolk University, another CCC school, uses a city-owned park in East Boston and they routinely outperform Wentworth. Sure, Wentworth can do what they want with their property, but surely we can all agree that a dedicated sports facility for a fourth-rate sports program is an extremely decadent waste of transit-adjacent land.

I don't. Cities are more than just buildings. The new one will host youth summer camp programs too for the community outside of Wentworth. Way better than the huge surface parking lot there currently.