Undeterred by a recent court decision dismissing their request for a temporary halt to the city’s renovation plans for White Stadium, a local environmental organization and 20 residents are pressing ahead with their lawsuit to oppose the project and prevent the stadium from becoming the new home of a professional women’s soccer team.
Renee Stacey Welch, a plaintiff in the case and a longtime resident of the Franklin Park area, expressed her disappointment at the judge’s ruling. “When the judge decided not to support us, I cried, because yet again, people are telling us that we don’t matter,” she said at a press conference. “But we’re gonna keep fighting because that’s the right thing to do.”
In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs argue that the city’s plan to renovate the stadium amounts to an unconstitutional privatization of public land. They worry that use by a professional sports team would limit public access to the site and accuse the city of not adequately addressing community concerns about the project.
The lawsuit has drawn support from the Landmarks Commission, which has expressed concerns about the city’s handling of the project and the lack of oversight by the commission. As a designated Boston landmark and a site listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Franklin Park, which encompasses White Stadium, falls under the commission’s jurisdiction.
Boston Unity Soccer Partners, which has received approval from the National Women’s Soccer League to establish the league’s 15th team in Boston, intends to spend over $50 million on the stadium renovation, in addition to $50 million from the city. The group maintains that the partnership is an opportunity to provide Boston Public Schools students with a state-of-the-art facility and the benefits of having access to a professional female sports team.
However, Leonard Brown, a physical education teacher at a nearby private school, expressed reservations about the project, stating that it would benefit those outside the community more than its residents.
The plaintiffs’ determination to continue their legal fight highlights the ongoing debate over the use of public spaces, the balance between community needs, and the city’s plans for development and revitalization.
