New White Stadium will cost Boston taxpayers $135 million, Mayor Michelle Wu says
The new White Stadium will now cost Boston taxpayers $135 million, Mayor Michelle Wu said Friday. That's $35 million more than the originally proposed total of $100 million.
Boston Legacy Football Club will invest $190 million in stadium renovations, followed by another $62 million over 15 years for upkeep, security, and events. The National Women's Soccer League team will use the stadium for 20 games a season. Construction is underway and the stadium is set to be ready for the 2027 NWSL season.
Boston Public Schools will use White Stadium for games, practices and tournaments.
"We are going to have the best student athletics facility in the country here in Boston, and that is something that will to transform our city for generations," Mayor Wu said at a news conference Friday.
"We're ensuring that White Stadium remains a City-owned, year-round public asset for Boston Public Schools students and the community for generations," said controlling owner of Boston Legacy FC Jennifer Epstein.
But not everybody is happy about the new price tag.
"Boston Pubic Schools are facing layoffs of teachers and also closing schools. We are thinking it's very irresponsible of the city to move forward on this project," said Melissa Hamel. Hamel is a member of the Franklin Park Defenders, a group that firmly opposes the stadium and wants a more affordable option.
"There is still plenty of time for the city to reconsider this fatally-flawed project, and instead build a much more affordable, fully-public high school stadium that meets the needs of BPS students and their families — not those of professional athletes and their investors," member Louis Elisa said in a statement.
Another group, the Emerald Necklace Conservatory, filed a lawsuit in 2025 to halt the project, but a judge ruled that demolition and construction could continue.
Boston Legacy FC will play at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro and at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, until construction is complete.