Franklin Park - White Stadium Renovation

[real_EthanHunt]

Compare that to the 25,000 seat stadium

White Stadium is 3 years in the making at this point. When it started there was no discussion of a Revs stadium in Everett. Even at this point, even with an agreement signed earlier in 2025, the Everett Stadium still has a permitting process to go through and construction. its at least 5 seasons away. The intent at the beginning was to have the NWSL in White stadium for 2026 season. Even with a crystal ball in early 2023 and somehow knowing there was going to be a push for a stadium in Everett, it was going to be 4 to 5 years too late. and it still is, at least.

Sure, they wouldn’t own the stadium, but they wouldn’t own the Franklin Park one either

They do own the concessions though and any other monetary making endeavors on site. Instead theyd be paying rent to be in Everett. How is this hard to understand?
You have heard the Celtics new ownership is supposedly looking for its own arena. Why? for this very reason. They dont own TD Garden and would make more money on their games if they did.

This is a terrible missed opportunity for Greater Boston, thinking small and political turf-ish again.

how is having both 'thinking small'? how is having a better facility for BPS a missed opportunity?

The difference is obvious.

yeah, Boston and legacy FC are both are both better off with a White Stadium renovated, regardless of what may or may not happen in Everett or what happens in the future with Legacy FC. thats obvious.

 

[shmessy]

Last time you said that they wouldn't get financing. Now you claim that the team will fail. Haters gonna hate.

I’m just a poster on a website. Michelle Wu is actually the Mayor responsible for this White Elephant……….you wanna hold her to the same standard you’re holding little ol’ me to???????

Concerning your post, couldn’t that be rephrased tho “Last time Mayor Wu said she would have the updated cost number in this calendar year”???????

I’m rooting for the team to be successful. The problem is this undersized Stadium in Franklin Park is set up for disaster economically for the team. They are in the NWSL and they are positioned for success, save for the Stadium situation they chose.

Also re the whole “The Legacy got the financing” position - ask yourself: They got the financing based on WHAT cost number????? A cost number that Wu right now cannot come up with????? In the timeframe she originally promised????? That sound economically sound to you?????? Who pays the DIFFERENCE between the financed number and the unknown number that Wu will finally admit to in 2026 (or later???).

“We will see, as the Zen master said”.

 

[sm89]

Michelle Wu promised an updated cost estimate for White Stadium ‘this calendar year.’ Now it’s looking like 2026. - The Boston Globe

City officials last gave a cost estimate for the hotly debated project more than a year ago, when they said it would cost $91 million.

www.bostonglobe.com

This thread fascinates me - - I can’t help but watch over the next 2- 5 years as slowly the proponents here start realizing what is patently obvious to many others. Wu’s White Stadium is a slow-motion car crash.The Legacy will jump ship within 5-10 years of this being built and will leave the City holding the bag for maintenance/upkeep, a much large debt burden, etc.

Reminder that basically only the media finds the stadium to be some sort of huge issue for Wu. She did very well in the election not only citywide, but even in the precincts around the stadium and park. So while I do think there are certainly many people upset about the project, it is nowhere near 'split', 'divisive', etc. It's manufactured outrage/clickbait.

 

[KCasiglio]

Reminder that basically only the media finds the stadium to be some sort of huge issue for Wu. She did very well in the election not only citywide, but even in the precincts around the stadium and park. So while I do think there are certainly many people upset about the project, it is nowhere near 'split', 'divisive', etc. It's manufactured outrage/clickbait.

Not to mention that the mayoral polling specifically asked about it and it has overwhelming support. It's not a controversial project and its not worth responding to people who are chasing their sunk cost on hoping for its failure to rinse the egg off their face.

 

[Jeremi]

Not to mention that the mayoral polling specifically asked about it and it has overwhelming support. It's not a controversial project and its not worth responding to people who are chasing their sunk cost on hoping for its failure to rinse the egg off their face.

Mayor Wu put up Assad-like numbers this election so they need to find something to pin to her.

 

[Scott]

Here's a recent video where Diane Wilkerson and Ed Flynn complain that Wu won't listen.

 

[shmessy]

Not to mention that the mayoral polling specifically asked about it and it has overwhelming support. It's not a controversial project and its not worth responding to people who are chasing their sunk cost on hoping for its failure to rinse the egg off their face.

No need to get personal. We’re discussing a subject. People who are comfortable with themselves don’t need to ‘own someone on the inetrnet’ if someone has a different opinion.

BTW, I am a huge supporter of the NWSL, my daughter loves the USWNT and I fervently hope Boston (which SHOULD be a part of it all) can actually take part in one of the fastest growing leagues, popularity-wise. I just feel the Legacy can achieve so much more business-wise playing in front of 25,000 fans in a soon to be world class entertainment zone instead of in the middle of Franklin Park. The economic benefits for the Greater Boston area would be multiple levels above what is being bunted along right now.

 

[shmessy]

Mayor Wu put up Assad-like numbers this election so they need to find something to pin to her.

When was the last Boston Mayor to lose re-election????? Curley almost a century ago, while in prison?????

I happen to support Mayor Wu in most areas. This one, however, makes very little economic sense to me. We’ll see how it all plays out, but for now, Wu is not divulging the ACTUAL COST estimate. That’s kinda fundamental, no?

 

[BronsonShore]

I just feel the Legacy can achieve so much more business-wise playing in front of 25,000 fans in a soon to be world class entertainment zone instead of in the middle of Franklin Park.

Then your complaints should be directed at the team instead of the city.

The economic benefits for the Greater Boston area would be multiple levels above what is being bunted along right now.

White Stadium and the hypothetical stadium in Everett have nothing to do with one another. Michelle Wu is in no way shape or form blocking the Everett stadium in favor of White Stadium. She is, however, making sure that her constituents get a voice in the construction of a stadium that will massively impact them, as is her job. The Everett Stadium will get built if the Krafts get their shit together, and Boston will have both.

Your posts about this come off as raving, in bad faith, and agenda-driven.

 

[shmessy]

Then your complaints should be directed at the team instead of the city.


White Stadium and the hypothetical stadium in Everett have nothing to do with one another. Michelle Wu is in no way shape or form blocking the Everett stadium in favor of White Stadium. She is, however, making sure that her constituents get a voice in the construction of a stadium that will massively impact them, as is her job. The Everett Stadium will get built if the Krafts get their shit together, and Boston will have both.

Your posts about this come off as raving, in bad faith, and agenda-driven.

Actually both. if the team doesn’t make it financially - that will hurt the city. The team will be on the line with financed debt - of a moving target where the final cost isn’t being divulged - versus defined rental costs, smaller ticket revenue from an 11,000 capacity vs 25,000, less attractive location for dining/entertainment, etc - - sports today as a business is not “sports” - don’t kid yourselve - The Sports industry is one of Hospitality Management. Pure and simple. If you want to be a big league sports franchise, you simply don’t do it in the middle of Franklin Park. the chance of this franchise failing is unfortunately much higher given those issues……and if the team fails, that won’t be good for the entire area.

I admit, I have a strong opinion on this from what I see of it economically. What “agenda” you’re talking about is a mystery. My only “agenda” is rooting for the Greater Boston area’s economy to do well in a competitive landscaper.

….and by the way, did you actually state that mayor Wu is NOT blocking the Everett Stadium???? Who then is the obstacle?????

 

[as02155]

my daughter loves the USWNT

Lets not instrumentalize other people for our own arguments, eh? Also the USWNT doesn't have much directly to do with White Stadium.

This one, however, makes very little economic sense to me.

Still haven't seen your argument about the "little"-ness of the economic argument. Boston gets a much larger, more robust renovated stadium that comes with fairly few strings attached.

 

[shmessy]

Lets not instrumentalize other people for our own arguments, eh? Also the USWNT doesn't have much directly to do with White Stadium.

Still haven't seen your argument about the "little"-ness of the economic argument. Boston gets a much larger, more robust renovated stadium that comes with fairly few strings attached.

Great High School stadium. No argument there. Let’s see how much it costs, who will pay the bills and how much access BPS students get. The first two items are undivulged at this point. The third is less than optimal.

 

[KCasiglio]

The third is less than optimal.

The third is a significant expansion from the status quo, to be clear. Not sure what your vision of optimal is.

 

[shmessy]

The third is a significant expansion from the status quo, to be clear. Not sure what your vision of optimal is.

Perhaps I’m wrong, but I would assume a fully BPS facility would afford BPS 100% access 365 days per year for full sports seasons - especially football. So yeah, that is a trade-off that makes access issue ‘less than optimal’. Compared to NOW, yes, it is an expansion. Is it “optimal”. By definition - No.

 

[Scott]

When I look ahead to a game at White Stadium, I imagine dinner from a local food truck on the lawn before the game. It will be very family friendly with plenty of space for the kids to kick around a ball, and I am sure the city will have many other concerts and events. It will be a very cool place to visit.

 

[JumboBuc]

Michelle Wu promised an updated cost estimate for White Stadium ‘this calendar year.’ Now it’s looking like 2026. - The Boston Globe

City officials last gave a cost estimate for the hotly debated project more than a year ago, when they said it would cost $91 million.

www.bostonglobe.com

This thread fascinates me - - I can’t help but watch over the next 2- 5 years as slowly the proponents here start realizing what is patently obvious to many others. Wu’s White Stadium is a slow-motion car crash.The Legacy will jump ship within 5-10 years of this being built and will leave the City holding the bag for maintenance/upkeep, a much large debt burden, etc.

One of the many angles I find fascinating about this whole thing is that us sophisticated educated New Englanders love to rag on Texas High School football stadiums as being crazy expensive wastes of money for school districts to take on. But he we are struggling to build a high school football stadium that'll be many times more expensive than anything you can find in the Lone Star State.

The Most Expensive High School Football Stadiums in 2026

Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium tops the list as the most expensive high school football stadium. Here's the full list.

frontofficesports.com

This thing in Texas had the eyepopping cost of $70.4 million in 2017. Adjusted for inflation, that's like $94 million today. White Stadium will likely cost over $200 million.

 

[KCasiglio]

It is nice to have vast open greenfields to develop with no community impacts to consider and a much friendlier regulatory/permitting environment.

 

[JumboBuc]

It is nice to have vast open greenfields to develop with no community impacts to consider and a much friendlier regulatory/permitting environment.

Franklin Park's 527 city-owned acres are plenty vast and open and green for a stadium, and Wu's approach to this hasn't paid much attention to community impacts. Permitting concerns are also WAY less of a concern when the builder is the City that controls its own regulatory/permitting environment.

I hear you on overall costs in MA being higher than in TX, but the screengrab below hits hard when you consider that White Stadium will likely cost over $200 million:

Also note that these TX stadiums are for school districts bigger than BPS, with more kids and way more sports teams.

 

[Scott]

When did somebody rag on or compare anything to Texas? Are those places an apples to apples comparison? No

 

[HenryAlan]

One of the many angles I find fascinating about this whole thing is that us sophisticated educated New Englanders love to rag on Texas High School football stadiums as being crazy expensive wastes of money for school districts to take on. But he we are struggling to build a high school football stadium that'll be many times more expensive than anything you can find in the Lone Star State.

Most of those Texas stadiums serve a single high school, not a few dozen. And they generally do not serve multiple other sports, a professional team, and as a city-wide gathering space. This is not an apples to apples comparison.