In a major victory for Mayor Michelle Wu, the state’s highest court ruled Wednesday in favor of the City of Boston and its private soccer team partners in the long-running legal battle over the redevelopment of White Stadium, clearing a major legal obstacle facing the controversial Franklin Park project.
In the 36-page decision, the Supreme Judicial Court upheld the city’s position in a case brought by the Emerald Necklace Conservancy (ENC) and a group of residents known as the Franklin Park Defenders, who had challenged the planned public-private redevelopment of the historic stadium.
The ruling leaves intact a Suffolk Superior Court decision issued in April 2025 that sided with the city and Boston Unity Soccer Partners (BUSP), the ownership group behind Boston Legacy FC, the city’s National Women’s Soccer League franchise. Superior Court Judge Matthew Nestor had concluded that the White Stadium parcel was not protected parkland for purposes of Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution.
Today’s ruling affirms Nestor’s decision.
“Finally, we conclude that the plaintiffs’ challenges to the proposed use of areas within Franklin Park,
but outside the stadium parcel, fail,” the justices wrote.
They also rejected a key premise of the legal challenge, writing: “We first conclude that the plaintiffs have no cognizable individual interest in the George Robert White Fund (White Fund, fund, or trust), and therefore do not have standing to challenge alleged violations of its provisions.”
The long-awaited SJC ruling has been pending since April when justices heard arguments from both sides in a Boston courtroom. The case is an appeal of an earlier decision from a Suffolk Superior Court judge, who ruled in favor of the City of Boston and Boston Unity Soccer Partners. The plaintiffs- led by the Emerald Necklace Conservancy (ENC) and a group of neighbors known as the Franklin Park Defenders – appealed that ruling.
The White Stadium project has been the subject of fierce opposition from some quarters, including some nearby residents who object to the potential impacts of game-day parking and traffic restrictions. Others object to what they have characterized as the misuse of a public park for private enterprise.
The Wu administration has steadfastly argued that the benefits of the agreement far outweigh any sacrifice of public use, citing in particular the upside of having a state-of-the-art athletic facility that will mainly be used by Boston Public School student-athletes for more than 300 days a year.
Sen. Liz Miranda (D-Roxbury), whose district includes Franklin Park, said Wednesday that “while the court has cleared the way for White Stadium to move forward… that cannot be the end of the conversation.”
“Our community has rightful concerns,” said Miranda in a statement to The Reporter. “We’ve seen what can happen, even on a smaller scale, at Carter Playground. It is still a public park, but many Roxbury residents don’t feel like that space is for them anymore. We cannot let that happen at White Stadium. There are still real questions about transportation, parking, access, and the impact on Franklin Park and surrounding neighborhoods. Those conversations need to continue.”
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