Boston’s White Stadium Delayed Again, Pro Team Pushes to 2028

The city and its private partner have pushed back the opening of White Stadium. The new target is fall 2027, a few months later than the original summer date. Because of this shift, the professional women’s soccer team will not be able to play at the venue until 2028. Boston Public Schools teams will get the first chance to use the field when it finally opens late next year. The team’s upcoming season will be played in Rhode Island, after spending this year at Foxboro’s stadium.

Taxpayers are now on the hook for a much larger share of the rebuild. The city’s portion is $135 million, roughly three times the $50 million originally estimated. The private side is putting in more than $190 million of its own money. A recent Supreme Judicial Court decision cleared the project after a long legal fight with a neighborhood group. The court said the plan does not illegally turn public parkland into a private stadium.

The club remains tied to the site by a ten‑year lease and says it still wants to call White Stadium home. Its first season was played away, and the next one will start in February in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Local residents who oppose the project continue to protest. They argue that a professional venue will limit public access to green space and hurt nearby communities. The group, calling itself the Franklin Park Defenders, wants the stadium to stay fully public.

City officials say construction is now moving fast, with work six days a week. The Public Facilities Department and the general contractor have adjusted the schedule to meet the new fall deadline. Once the field is ready, Boston Public Schools athletes will be the first to use it, followed by community events. The mayor’s office hopes the new chapter will benefit both youth sports and the historic venue for years to come.