White Stadium, formally the George R. White Memorial Stadium, is a 10,519-seat stadium in Boston, Massachusetts, that was constructed between 1947 and 1949 for the use of Boston Public Schools athletics. It is located in Franklin Park.[1]
History
Financed by the George Robert White fund, the cost was originally estimated to be between $350,000 to $450,000, however the final amount ballooned to $1,000,000, a figure that city clerk and former acting mayor John Hynes blamed on MayorJames Michael Curley.[2][3]
Twice postponed due to weather, the opening football games on October 1, 1949 were:
In 1970, a proposal was made to enlarge the stadium to 50,000 seats for a potential home for the New England Patriots.[4] By the 1980s, White Stadium had deteriorated as maintenance was neglected and improvements were deferred.[5] The scoreboard had been rendered unusable due to vandalism and the locker rooms lacked working showers and toilets.[6]
A $45 million renovation and expansion was planned, starting in 2013. The project was shelved by Mayor Marty Walsh, citing budget concerns.[7]
In 2023, the city of Boston announced that the stadium would undergo a $30 million renovation to prepare for the arrival of BOS Nation FC that is set to begin play in 2026. The renovation would include additional seats to bring capacity to 11,000 in order to meet the league's minimum standards.[8]
