Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said preparations for the demolition of the dilapidated White Stadium in Franklin Park will begin “very, very shortly,” now that the city has signed a lease agreement with a forthcoming professional women’s soccer team.
Wu announced Monday that she and Boston Unity Soccer Partners Founder Jennifer Epstein had signed a _0.pdf” target=”_blank”>lease, a _0.pdf” target=”_blank”>shared usage agreement and other related documents. The agreements include hosting up to 20 BOS Nation FC National Women’s Soccer League games and practices per year, at least 700 hours of events per year for Boston Public Schools and expanded hours for public access.
“Our goal here was to set a new standard for public benefit,” Wu told reporters during a virtual press conference.
According to the mayor, BOS Nation FC will pay $400,000 in rent during the first year of operation. That will increase by 3% annually.
The agreements require the club to pay 10% of advertising revenue and 3% of concession revenue to the city. Another 40% of advertising revenue, 15% of field naming rights revenue and 5% of concession revenue must be set aside for future maintenance.
Other rules included in the agreements limit the number of consecutive weekends that can be used for hosting professional games and limits for the timing of the games.
The Boston Planning Department approved a proposal to renovate the 75-year-old facility in July, and several other city approvals followed, but the plan has faced significant opposition over the price tag.
Wu said Boston will be responsible for funding new construction of facilities for city or public use, while Boston Unity will fund the construction of facilities for their professional use. As a guarantee for the city, the team is required to put $45 million into an account prior to receiving financing.
According to the mayor, the project includes a new professional-grade grass field, an 8-lane track, space for field events and new facilities. It will also upgrade the tennis and basketball courts located outside the stadium.
Finally, Wu said the work will create public restrooms and water fountains that can be accessed from the park even if the stadium is closed for an event.
The lease states that work on the track and field must be completed by March 1, 2026. Work on the rest of the facility is to be completed by Dec. 1, 2026.
Demolition can begin early in 2025, Wu said.
The current total estimated cost for the stadium project is approximately $91 million, although Wu said that may change through the bidding process.
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