Crews placed the final structural beam at White Stadium in Franklin Park on Friday, Nov. 6, completing the renovated venue’s structural framework, the City of Boston said. Mayor Michelle Wu and Boston Legacy FC controlling owner Jennifer Epstein attended the topping-off ceremony with Boston Public Schools leaders, students and residents, NBC10 Boston reported.
Related: Wu Sends Section 17F Response on White Stadium Costs; Letter Names No Delayed Schools.
What happened at the ceremony
The final beam was signed by Boston Public Schools students, community members, Legacy players, club ownership and local leaders, the city said. Nearly 2,500 tons of structural steel are now in place, according to the city.
“Today we mark a major milestone toward fulfilling our promise of delivering the best student athletics facility in the country for BPS students and our community,” Wu said in a city statement.
Epstein said, “Our players deserve a true home in this city,” according to the city. Frank Hayes, president of BOND Building Construction, said topping off the West Grandstand “reflects the close coordination among BOND, Boston Legacy FC, Able Company, the City of Boston, and our design and trade partners.”
What comes next on the site
Crews will next advance utility connections, install precast panels, and waterproof and enclose the building to support interior work through the winter, the city said. Over the next year, work will focus on interior spaces and amenities, the track and field facilities, landscaping and remaining site improvements, according to the city.
Boston Legacy FC will make White Stadium its home in 2028, NBC10 Boston reported.
What the finished stadium will include
When complete, the stadium will have 10,500 permanent seats, a regulation natural grass field and an MIAA-standard eight-lane track, the city said. It will remain a public asset owned by Boston Public Schools, according to the city.
The city said 95% of stadium use is reserved for Boston Public Schools students and school programming. The stadium will host up to 20 Legacy matches each year, NBC10 Boston reported. The city described it as the first stadium in the country to be co-housed and owned by a public school and purpose-built for professional women’s soccer.
Contracts and costs
The city said the project will deliver $252 million in privately funded community benefits over 15 years. The city called that the largest community and public benefits agreement in its history.
The city and Boston Legacy have awarded $61 million in contracts to local and minority- and women-owned businesses, the city said. That total includes $35 million to women-owned businesses and $23 million to minority-owned businesses, including $16 million to Black-owned businesses, according to the city. Another $3 million has been committed, with those contracts still to be awarded.
A Boston City Council packet for the Nov. 4 meeting listed a total construction cost of $135,035,515.62 for the East Grandstand renovation, The Boston Report reported earlier this month.
Parking and transportation plan due this winter
The city held four community meetings in September and launched a neighborhood parking protection survey in October, covering Franklin Park and a surrounding 0.75-mile radius. More than 800 residents responded, the city said. A transportation plan will be announced in winter 2027, according to the city.
“The Franklin Park Coalition is pleased to see the amazing progress to this point,” Rickie Thompson, the coalition’s president, said in the city’s statement.
For more Boston coverage, see the Boston News hub, Boston school news and the City Hall decisions tracker.
Sources
- City of Boston: Major Construction Milestone For Transformative White Stadium Project
- NBC10 Boston: Boston Legacy officials, city leaders host White Stadium “topping off” ceremony
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