BREAKING NEWS: The Franklin Park Defenders have been awarded the Olmsted Network’s 2025 President’s Award Read More

Envision a Public White Stadium

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Read the NEW report on an alternate concept to foster conversation on White Stadium!

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Envision a FULLY PUBLIC White Stadium for students & the community!

The demolition of White Stadium and parts of Franklin Park has already begun, making it more urgent than ever to take action. The City of Boston and Boston Unity Soccer Partners LLC have pushed forward with their expansion and renovation plans for White Stadium without proper environmental review or meaningful community input. There is still time to hault the private-public plan and build a high quality facility for the students & the community.

A FULLY PUBLIC PLAN WOULD:

Cost less than a third of the current $172M+ estimate, leaving $ for other much-needed
school renovations

Allow BPS students to have FULL access every day of the year

Remove the negative impacts of traffic gridlocks, parking restrictions and air, light and noise

31 local organizations have joined the Franklin Park Defenders by signing our Statement of Principles:

ArborwayMatters
Authentic Caribbean Foundation Inc.
Bay Staters for Creative Well-Being
The Black Lotus Cooperative Inc.
Boston Bengals Pop Warner program
The Boston Committee
Coalition for Regionwide Services Beyond Franklin Park (CORES)
Contemporations, Inc.
The Enviro Show
FACTS Association/Xchange
Friends of Melnea Cass Boulevard
Friends of the Notch Forest
Garden Club of the Back Bay
Garrison Trotter Neighborhood Council
Greater Mattapan Neighborhood Council

Greene & Greene Realty
Hancock Street Civic Association
Highland Park Neighborhood Coalition
Marcus Anthony Hall Educational Institute
Mattapan Food & Fitness Coalition
Methunion Manor Cooperative Corporation
NAACP Boston Branch
Neighborhood Schools, Inc.
Olmsted Network
The People's Academy
Polonia Auto Sales
Power of Skirts Collective
Roxbury Neighborhood Council
Trees as a Public Good Network
The Trustees Collaborative for Parks & Open Space
The Urban Biodiversity Project

They are joined by 677 individuals who have signed the Statement of Principles—view the list of public signers below:

List of Defenders

(updated regularly)

20250918_Franklin Park_Neighborhood Groups.jpg

- BREAKING NEWS -

Franklin Park Defenders File Appeal Brief in White Stadium Lawsuit

READ FULL BRIEF

READ PRESS RELEASE

LATEST NEWS

Beacon Hill Times

April 11, 2025

Court Rules in City’s Favor on White Stadium Project

Charlestown Patriot-Bridge

April 10, 2025

Court Rules in City’s Favor on White Stadium Project

Boston Herald

April 6, 2025

Gaskin: White Stadium’s potential economic impact

Engineering News-Record

April 4, 2025

Court Approves $200M Boston Pro Women's Soccer Stadium Renovation

Sports Business Journal

April 3, 2025

Boston mayor, Legacy celebrate White Stadium win

CBS News

April 3, 2025

Boston mayor thrilled White Stadium project can continue after ruling

PRESS RELEASES

2 3 4 5

FOLLOW US ONLINE:

Franklin Park belongs to the community — our goals are to protect green space, reduce environmental harm, and keep access for everyone. Learn how to support climate resilience and community use for the park: donate and sign our statement of principles. Link in bio. #SaveFranklinPark #PublicParks #BostonGreen
Tell us: what does Franklin Park mean to you? Share a memory below.

#KeepFranklinPublic #SaveFranklinPark #BostonMA #CommunityPowered #UrbanGreenspace #PublicParks #EnvironmentalJustice #ProtectOurParks

Monday, many members of the Franklin Park Defenders, alongside other community advocates, attended a virtual hearing on the Boston Public Schools annual budget. Attendees questioned the cost of the proposed professional sports complex in Franklin Park (currently estimated at $91 million, but final costs have not been revealed to the public), in light of several other BPS projects that are in need of funding. Community advocates asked officials to consider a less expensive, fully-public alternative renovation for the BPS stadium.

We would like to thank everybody who joined this hearing and made their voices heard! A recording of the meeting can be found in our bio. (Relevant timestamps: 54:00, 1:25:00, 1:38:00, 1:42:00, 2:19:00, 2:33:00)

TODAY - Tuesday, November 18 - the Defenders will be holding a standout at the Copley Square Boston Public Library branch from 11:30AM to 1:30PM. Mayor Wu will be onsite for an interview on WGBH’s Boston Public Radio, recorded live at the BPL. Please join the Defenders to call attention to their advocacy for Franklin Park’s White Stadium!

📢 Documentary Premiere – Nov 15
Director Sabrina Salvati’s REMOVED exposes the displacement of Black communities in Boston and the takeover of White Stadium.
Be there. Be informed. Be part of the movement.
Register: bit.ly/47VGuNf

📍 Roxbury Community College, Academic Bldg. 3 — Student Commons

#SaveFranklinPark #FranklinParkDefenders

Franklin Park belongs to the people of Boston — and we’re fighting to keep it that way. Join Franklin Park Defenders in calling for public investment and accountable oversight for White Stadium’s future. Your support helps protect green space, community access, and historic value. Donate and sign our statement of principles to make your voice count — Link in bio. 🌳✨🤝📢

How will you support the park today? Tell us below and tag a friend who cares.

#FranklinPark #BostonMA #ProtectPublicParks #CommunityStewardship #SaveWhiteStadium #UrbanGreenSpaces #PublicInvestment #CommunityAction

💰 From $10.5 Million to $91 Million — and counting.

What started as a modest renovation proposal for White Stadium has ballooned into a $91 million project — a nearly ninefold increase in costs.

As the price tag climbs, so do the questions:
Who benefits? Who’s paying? And what does this mean for Boston’s students and community use of Franklin Park?

📍 The Franklin Park Defenders continue to call for transparency, accountability, and equity in how our public spaces are funded and managed.

🎥 Watch stadium expert Andrew Zimbalist explain the dramatic rise in costs:

Boston’s youth could lose their home field — here’s why.

🏟️ Stadium expert Andrew Zimbalist explains that the NWSL season (March–Nov) doesn’t allow football on its natural-grass fields.
That means Boston’s high-school teams — including Boston Latin Academy — would be locked out of White Stadium for most of the year.

Coach Rocco Ziza said it best:

“That always has been our home field.”

White Stadium should stay public — for our kids, our city, and our future.

#FranklinParkDefenders #WhiteStadium #Boston #YouthDeserveBetter #PublicParksForAll #CommunityOverContracts

Boston deserves more than new turf — it deserves transparency, inclusion, and accountability.
This isn’t just about a stadium. It’s about who gets heard when decisions are made about our public spaces.

#FranklinParkDefenders #WhiteStadium #Boston #CommunityOverContracts #PublicParksForAll #EquityInAction

Franklin Park belongs to the people of Boston — not private interests. Help us protect White Stadium and restore it as a vibrant, publicly accessible space for everyone. Donate and sign our statement of principles to make your voice heard. Link in bio. 🏟️🌳✊🏽

How would you like to see White Stadium restored? Share your ideas below!

#FranklinPark #SaveWhiteStadium #BostonParks #PublicSpace #CommunityAction #ProtectOurParks #GreenBoston #ParksNotPrivatization

Franklin Park belongs to all of us.
We’re standing up to ensure that White Stadium remains fully public — accessible to our children, families, and community year-round.

For over a century, Franklin Park has been Boston’s green heart — a public space designed for everyone.
Now, we’re defending that legacy against privatization and calling for a transparent, community-driven plan that keeps the park’s future in public hands.

🎥 Watch and share why we’re fighting for a fully public White Stadium.
#FranklinParkDefenders #WhiteStadium #Boston #PublicParksForAll #CommunityOverContracts #EquityInAction

Franklin Park belongs to the people — and community advocacy protects it. Learn how grassroots efforts shape public policy, defend green space from privatization, and hold developers and officials accountable. If you believe in keeping Franklin Park public, please donate and sign our statement of principles. Together we can preserve this vital urban sanctuary for every Boston neighborhood. Link in bio 🌳✊📢

How will you stand up for public space today? Share your thoughts below.

#FranklinPark #ProtectOurParks #BostonMA #CommunityAdvocacy #UrbanGreenSpace #KeepItPublic #EnvironmentalJustice #ParkStewardship

Today on STEM Day we celebrate community-led innovation shaping public spaces. Franklin Park’s defenders bring science, creativity, and local knowledge together to protect this green heart of Boston, MA. Help keep Franklin Park public — donate and add your name to our statement of principles. Link in bio to learn more and take action. 🌳🔬🤝🌞

How do you envision a thriving Franklin Park? Share your ideas below — we’d love to hear from you!

#ProtectFranklinPark #CommunityLedPlanning #STEMforGood #BostonParks #SustainableCities #ParkJustice #UrbanInnovation #SaveOurParks

Franklin Park belongs to the community — not private interests. Help keep White Stadium public, affordable, and designed for students and neighbors who use it every day. Donate and add your name to our statement of principles to stand with equitable, accessible recreation for all. Link in bio 💚🏟️📢

How will you support? Tell us below and share this post to spread the word.

#FranklinPark #BostonMA #PublicParks #CommunityFirst #EquityInDesign #SaveWhiteStadium #AccessibleRecreation #SupportLocal

This Halloween, let’s keep the real spirit alive: our public spaces belong to everyone. Join Franklin Park Defenders in protecting Franklin Park from being haunted by privatization — preserve access, history, and community for all. Donate or sign our statement of principles to make a lasting impact. Link in bio. 🎃🖤🌳🗝️

How will you defend the park this season? Share below and tag a friend who cares.

#SaveFranklinPark #ProtectPublicSpaces #BostonCommunity #KeepParksPublic #FranklinPark

Franklin Park belongs to everyone — not private developers. Learn how the White Stadium demolition and renovation plans risk sidelining community needs and the environment. Help us keep Franklin Park public and accessible: donate and sign our statement of principles. Link in bio 🌳✊🏽📢

How would you like to see the park used? Tell us below and share to spread the word.

#SaveFranklinPark #CommunityFirst #BostonParks #PublicLand #EnvironmentalJustice #UrbanGreenSpace #ProtectOurParks #BostonMA

On Friday, the Franklin Park Defenders received the President’s Award at the Olmsted Network’s 2025 Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C.!

The growing coalition of greenspace advocates was recognized on this national stage for “their work as a growing community voice [illustrating] the power of grassroots advocacy in defending the public purpose of Olmsted landscapes.” Join us in congratulating them!

HAPPENING NOW: a hearing on the feasibility of an alternative, fully-public White Stadium option by the Boston City Council Committee on Post Audit: Government Accountability, Transparency, and Accessibility, chaired by Councilor Julia Mejia. Stay tuned for a debrief!

🌳✨ We’re honored!

Last week, the Olmsted Network announced its 2025 award winners, and the Franklin Park Defenders were recognized with the President’s Award for our work “elevating the conversation around equitable park use and preservation through legal action, public forums, and alternative planning proposals.”

This national recognition reflects the strength of our community’s voice in protecting Franklin Park for generations to come. 🌱💚

The awards will be presented at a celebratory dinner on Friday, October 24, in Washington, D.C.

📖 Read the full release here in LinkTree

#FranklinPark #OlmstedAwards #EquityInParks #TheresStillTime

🌿💪 “We have to fight for keeping our green space.”

Our parks are not just land — they are our history and our community. Let’s stand together to protect them for future generations.

#ProtectOurParks #GreenSpaceMatters #TheresStillTime

🌳✨ “Our parks are the most precious part of the city because they keep us grounded to community and to our own mental and physical health.”

Franklin Park is more than green space — it’s our shared sanctuary. 💚 Let’s protect it for today, tomorrow, and generations to come.

#FranklinPark #CommunityHealth #TheresStillTime #ProtectOurParks

📣 We’re Appealing the White Stadium Decision

The Franklin Park Defenders are taking our fight to the next level. The April court decision ignored fundamental protections that all public land in Massachusetts depends on.

Here’s why we’re appealing:
⚖️ The plan threatens constitutionally protected parkland
🍺 Serving alcohol in a school facility is illegal
📜 Violates the public trust that owns White Stadium

Beyond the courts, this fight is about our kids, our neighborhoods, and our right to green space. A private stadium in Franklin Park means:
❌ Loss of community access
❌ $175M in taxpayer costs
❌ More traffic, pollution, and displacement

🌳 Franklin Park belongs to the people, not private investors. There is still time for a better solution—a fully public White Stadium that uplifts Boston’s youth and protects our community.

✊ Join us. Defend Franklin Park.
#SaveFranklinPark #WhiteStadium #Boston #TheresStillTime

Friends, the fight for Franklin Park is far from over. Demolition may be complete, but construction hasn’t begun — and there’s still time to make sure White Stadium serves the public, not private developers.

Become a Franklin Park Defender: link in bio
Donate: link in bio

#TheresStillTime #SaveWhiteStadium

NEW LOCATION: Join Us TODAY to Rally for Franklin Park!

Join us every Monday evening for a weekly community rally to bring attention to the critical issues surrounding White Stadium. Your presence matters! Whether you’re a long-time advocate or just learning about what’s at stake, bring your signs, your spirit, and your neighbors. Let’s build power, energize our community, and grow this movement.

Monday, October 6 | 4:30–5:30 PM | Franklin Park - Corner of Blue Hill Ave and Franklin Park Road.

🌳💪 We are not alone in this fight!

Dozens of community, environmental, education, and justice groups stand with us to protect Franklin Park and keep White Stadium fully public.

Check out our new support map 🗺️ showing all of the organizations backing this movement. Together, we are powerful — and growing.

Join us today and every Monday evening for a weekly community rally to bring attention to the critical issues surrounding White Stadium. Your presence matters! Whether you’re a long-time advocate or just learning about what’s at stake, bring your signs, your spirit, and your neighbors. Let’s build power, energize our community, and grow this movement.

Monday, September 29 | 4:30–5:30 PM | Franklin Park - Corner of Walnut Ave and Seaver Street

Don't forget to come out for tomorrow's rally, Monday 4:30pm to 6pm to bring attention to the critical issues surrounding White Stadium. Your presence and voice are needed!

At 6:00PM, the Franklin Park Defenders are hosting a virtual community meeting over Zoom to share updates on their advocacy, transportation plans, a public stadium alternative, and more.

You won’t want to miss this - click here to register ahead of the meeting!

Tomorrow at 9AM, three members of the Franklin Park Defenders will be interviewed by Minister Priscilla Flint on Boston Praise Radio’s People Power With Priscilla. Link to watch in bio!

🚨 Happening Today at 3 PM 🚨
There’s still time to show up for Boston’s future! Join the public hearing at 3:00 PM on the White Stadium procurement process.

Let your voice be heard—this is our chance to push for a fully public White Stadium that serves students, neighbors, and Franklin Park.

📍 Today, 3:00 PM
🔗 Join here: bit.ly/47O3Upo

🗣️ Speak, share, rally—transparency wins when we all participate.

#TheresStillTime #SaveWhiteStadium #FranklinPark #PublicLandPublicGood

Did you know, the proposed White Stadium plan brings with it 32 Rideshares arriving per minute on game and event days? Swipe to learn what the means for residents.

It's about to get crowded in Franklin Park! Did you know the proposed White Stadium project brings with it about 45 pedestrians per minute before and after soccer games? What does this mean for residents? Swipe to find out.

Did you know that over 14,000 households will be affected by event-day parking restrictions as part of the proposed White Stadium Renovation in Franklin Park? Swipe to learn more. #KeepFranklinParkPublic

Do you use Franklin Park? Did you know the proposed White Stadium renovation brings with it new park use restrictions for residents? Swipe through to learn more, and visit www.FranklinParkDefenders.org to see how you can get involved!

There's still time to invest in a public White Stadium that benefits bps students and the community! We aren't the only ones who think so. @naacpboston @juliaforboston #TheresStillTime Read More Here: Link in Linktree

The city still won't say how much it will spend to build a professional sports complex in Franklin Park! Since the professional soccer plans were announced to the public as a done deal, it's been incredibly difficult for community members to understand the scale of the project, its finances, or its impact on our neighborhoods. When even the Boston Globe can't obtain relevant records about the details of the White Stadium project, how is the public supposed to evaluate the plans? Without full transparency and an open public debate, we're liable to make the same mistakes that cities made in the 50s and 60s, when urban renewal destroyed our neighborhoods.

Read More in LinkTree

It's been four months since the city's latest attempt to address the massive transportation problems with a professional soccer stadium in Franklin Park, and they still haven't figured out basic details like the location of satellite parking lots where thousands of fans will board shuttle buses to White Stadium.

Residents have many questions about game-day transportation, and they still haven't been answered. When will the city and Boston Legacy conduct a real traffic study for their $200 million+ development project?

Read MassLive article in LinkTree

This ISN'T just about soccer. It’s about tax shelters. The White Stadium “partnership” has become a way for wealthy investors to park profits and avoid taxes—while Franklin Park, a public treasure, gets handed over in the process.

Franklin Park Defenders believe:
🌳 White Stadium should remain 100% public.
👩🏾‍🤝‍👨🏽 The community deserves investment without strings attached.
⚖️ Public land should not be leveraged for private tax loopholes.

We continue to stand firm: No privatization of Franklin Park. No stadium deals that trade our public space for investor tax breaks.

#FranklinParkForAll #PublicNotPrivate #WhiteStadium

Franklin Park Community – We need your voice!

At our recent meeting, we shared an alternative vision for a fully public White Stadium that protects Franklin Park and keeps it open for everyone.
Now we want to hear from YOU. Please take a few minutes to review the proposal and share your feedback:

Alternative Plan Link - bit.ly/41dJ92f
Feedback Form Link - bit.ly/3UBBM0T

Your input will help shape the future of Franklin Park. Together, we can ensure White Stadium remains public, accessible, and community-driven.

#FranklinParkForAll #PublicNotPrivate #WhiteStadium

💚🌳 Huge thanks to everyone who joined us at the Community Meeting on August 13th!

Together, we unveiled our proposed alternative design for a fully public White Stadium and shared ways for neighbors to get involved in the movement.

Your energy, questions, and ideas are what keep this movement strong. Stay tuned for next steps at franklinparkdefenders.com.

#SaveWhiteStadium #FranklinPark #PublicLandPublicGood

It's Monday again! Time to stand out and promote a public White Stadium. Join us at the intersection of Walnut Avenue and Seaver Street any time between 4:30PM and 6PM to make our voices heard!

TONIGHT AT 6:30: Join usat Dorchester's Lena Park Community Center for a neighborhood discussion on the plans for White Stadium in Franklin Park. This is a space for community conversation and questions, and to learn more about the recently unveiled Public Stadium Alternative.

Can't join in-person? Support their advocacy from afar with a donation to the Defenders' GoFundMe at the link in our bio.

REMINDER WEDNESDAY (8/13) EVENING: Join us to learn about a better, fully public White Stadium alternative for Boston’s student-athletes!

📅 Wednesday, August 13
🕡 6:30–8:30 PM (Doors open at 6:00 PM)
📍 Lena Park Community Center, 150 American Legion Hwy, Dorchester
🍪 Light refreshments provided

Let’s build a future for White Stadium that truly serves our students and neighborhoods — not private profits.

Join us today at 4:30 PM for a Community Rally to bring attention to critical issues surrounding White Stadium. Whether you’re a long-time advocate or just learning about what’s at stake, bring your signs, your spirit, and your neighbors. Let’s build power, energize our community, and grow this movement.

Update on White Stadium Redevelopment:
Boston Legacy Football Club has secured a six-week extension, moving their funding deadline from August 1 to September 15, to finalize their share of the financing for the White Stadium renovation plan. Demolition is making progress, and the city has already begun foundational and utility preparations. Notably, Boston Legacy has tapped contractor Bond Brothers, and has already deployed $5 million from a pledged $25 million escrow. The city, meanwhile, has contributed over $11 million so far. Read More in LinkTree.

🚨 COMMUNITY MEETING – AUGUST 13 🚨
The fight for Franklin Park’s White Stadium isn’t over. Join us to learn about a better, fully public alternative for Boston’s student-athletes!

📅 Wednesday, August 13
🕡 6:30–8:30 PM (Doors open at 6:00 PM)
📍 Lena Park Community Center, 150 American Legion Hwy, Dorchester
🍪 Light refreshments provided

Let’s build a future for White Stadium that truly serves our students and neighborhoods — not private profits.

Join us every Monday evening, starting August 4, for a weekly community rally to bring attention to the critical issues surrounding White Stadium.

Your presence matters! Whether you’re a long-time advocate or just learning about what’s at stake, bring your signs, your spirit, and your neighbors. Let’s build power, energize our community, and grow this movement.

Monday, August 4 | 4:30–6:00 PM | Franklin Park - Corner of Walnut Ave and Seaver Street

The Franklin Park Defenders are calling on the city to make the construction bids for White Stadium public! Delayed timelines increase community concerns. Let your voice be heard! Link in Bio #FranklinPark #Transparency

🚨 CALLING ALL PARK ADVOCATES! 🚨

🗓️ Thursday, July 24 – Day of Action!
✊🏾 Show up & speak out to protect Franklin Park and defend public resources!

📍 10AM – MBTA Board of Directors
State Transportation Building, 2nd Floor
🗣️ Demand transparency & equitable transit for all.

📍 3:30PM – Boston City Council Hearing (Virtual)
On the White Stadium deal: $200M public funds, no public say.
🔗 boston.gov/public-notices/16389441

Let’s pack the room and flood the Zoom! 📢
#SaveWhiteStadium #FranklinPark #BostonDeservesBetter #PublicLandPublicGood @naacpboston @brochris4boston @voteworrell @wilkersonforsenate

Choose a gift that tells a story! Donation link in Linktree

$19.49 - Celebrate the year White Stadium was completed, built for Boston’s students and the public.
$97 - Honor Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution, which defends your right to a clean, natural environment.
$200 - Stand against the proposed $200 million plan to replace White Stadium with a private sports complex.

👀 Boston Legacy's Brockton facility?
✅ Privately funded
✅ Built on private land
✅ 375 parking spots
✅ New fields for Brockton kids

Now compare that to White Stadium:
💸 $100M+ in public funds
🚫 No parking
🏈 Kicking BPS football teams off their home field
🛑 A private project on public land

Read the full story in LinkTree | Share your thoughts in the comments

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FRANKLIN PARK

DEFENDERS

Envision a Public White Stadium

Read the NEW report on an alternate concept to foster conversation on White Stadium!

Envision a FULLY PUBLIC White Stadium for students & the community!