White Stadium in Boston’s Franklin Park has served the community for more than 70 years. Renovations began about a year ago, starting with demolition and site work (Photo by Rosanna Marinelli/The Latino Newsletter)
Editor’s Note: Para la versión en español de este artículo, visita El Planeta.
BOSTON — For a family of four living just less than half a mile from Franklin Park for the past 17 years, the city’s public park has long been part of their daily walks or a place to relax and spend time outdoors together. From her window, Priscilla Andrade, a Puerto Rican mother of Boston Public Schools students, can see the park’s White Stadium, a landmark built in 1949.
“Even in the winter, when it’s cold, the park still gives us a space to enjoy. We go to community events like the Kite Festival. My husband used to play baseball there in an adult league, and my children learned how to ride their bikes in the park,” Andrade told The Latino Newsletter.
The stadium has long been a vital hub for local athletes and a gathering place for the community, including the Puerto Rican Festival that highlights the area’s Latino presence.
The annual Puerto Rican Festival of Massachusetts takes place at Franklin Park each summer. (Photo by Rosanna Marinelli/The Latino Newsletter)
After decades of trying to use the stadium for a bigger purpose, Boston city officials say White Stadium is finally receiving an investment for a $325 million renovation. The project aims to create a state-of-the-art sports facility and is being promoted as a public-private partnership that could expand access for Boston Public Schools students and local residents.
Recent updates, however, set the publicly funded portion of the project at $135 million, up from an initial estimate of $30 million. Members of the Franklin Park Defenders community group, as well as some local residents, have raised concerns and questioned whether the project represents the best proposal for locals.
“I worry that the project, which is supposed to benefit students and the community, could be at risk if the costs are too high,” Andrade said. “That puts residents in a position where we are paying taxes, paying for the stadium, and also paying to access our own neighborhood.”
Drawing Attention to Public Costs
The White Stadium plan, which includes private funding from the Boston Legacy Football Club (BLFC), aims to transform a historic space, provide Bostonians with year-round access to high-quality athletic facilities, and host a professional women’s soccer team for up to 20 game days annually.
Senior Policy Advisor Anshi Moreno Jiménez, a Latina who’s part of the mayor’s office, has explained that the broader goal is to expand public access and maximize community benefits.
Using a simple analogy, she said it’s like a homeowner renting half their house for 20 days while still receiving other benefits. Overall, the project is expected to generate around $252 million in total benefits.
“There’s $9 million in direct community benefits, which will be used over time to support local programs, even if the exact allocation hasn’t been finalized yet,” Moreno added.
While White Stadium offers new community and school benefits, Gregory Maynard, co-founder of the Boston Policy Institute, said it is unlike typical stadium projects, lacking the usual economic development component in the plan presented that offsets public costs.
“In Worcester, their most recent stadium was explicitly tied to economic development, with Polar Park designed to revitalize the surrounding canal district,” Maynard explained.
He also highlighted the potential neighborhood impact, noting that around Polar Park — home to the Red Sox’s AAA baseball team — property values have been assessed at 10 times their pre-construction value, and the city’s debt was structured to be paid off with new real estate development taxes.
“If a similar pattern occurs in Boston, neighbors could face sharply higher property tax bills,” he warned.
Still, Moreno’s Policy & Strategic Planning department remains optimistic, noting that the plan includes $34 million for operations and maintenance to keep the stadium and surrounding grounds in top condition year-round, ensuring they can support festivals and other community events.
Plan Promises Expanded Local Festivals
City officials like Moreno described the package as unprecedented, saying it will help expand programs that public schools already offer, particularly for Boston students, “about 45% of whom are Latino, and immigrant families, for whom soccer is an important cultural connection.”
However, some residents have questioned how closely the project’s cultural benefits will align with the realities of communities like Boston’s Latino population. Even so, Andrade, the mother of Boston Public Schools students, said, “If the team maintains relationships with the students, there is a benefit, but limited.”
At the same time, Luis Pérez Demorizi, the first Latino executive in the Boston Parks Department and inaugural Executive Director of Franklin Park, described the project as an opportunity for more festivals with new facilities. For the first time, this section of Franklin Park will include permanent public amenities, such as restrooms and drinking fountains.
Pérez said city officials are coordinating with multiple agencies and the soccer league to prevent scheduling conflicts with existing park festivals and to ensure that the zoo and golf course within Franklin Park remain unaffected.
Raising Latino Cultural Presence
Less than a mile from the stadium, many local businesses, such as La Parada Dominican Kitchen, have thrived. For owner Jonathan Peña, the White Stadium renovation is an opportunity to showcase Dominican culture in Jamaica Plain and the surrounding areas and attract new visitors, reflecting how the restaurant’s location has been key to its success. The restaurant’s mission goes beyond cuisine.
“Our goal is to give the community a little piece of our homeland,” Peña said.
Its proximity to the park and zoo allows visitors to discover local businesses.
“Park visitors discover small local businesses like ours,” he added.
Peña emphasized that if rising costs become a challenge, he sees them as opportunities to adapt, requiring planning, resilience, and a focus on growing with the community, not just the business.
La Parada Restaurant has been serving Dominican cuisine in Jamaica Plain for about five years. (Photo by Rosanna Marinelli/The Latino Newsletter)
Even from local officials, debates continue over private versus public priorities in development.
Councilor Julia Mejía has long advocated for community voices to be heard. “It’s essential that the project benefits those who need it most, not just investors,” she said. She criticized the current plan for its process, not the idea itself, noting that while private investments bring money and resources, she worries that once the stadium is developed, the community won’t have real access. Mejía stressed that transparency and genuine community inclusion require immediate attention.
Diana Fernandez Bibeau, Deputy Chief of Urban Design at the Boston Planning Department, echoed the importance of community representation on the private side.
“We don’t want to break a promise that’s been overlooked for 50 years and leave this stadium in a condition that has been very difficult for students and the community,” she said.
She acknowledged the plan's complexity but emphasized that the city is seeking ways to engage neighborhoods and said community meetings are welcome, even though connecting with residents has sometimes been challenging.
Residents like Andrade believe the process should be more inclusive.
“Private collaboration should not exclude the voice of the community,” she said.
Andrade added that “learning from the past allows us to influence future decisions,” and that “studying the history of the park helps us understand the importance of our participation,” highlighting the role residents can play in shaping the park’s future.
Rosanna Marinelli is a multimedia correspondent for The Latino Newsletter and the News Editor at El Planeta.
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Julio Ricardo Varela edited and published this edition of The Latino Newsletter.
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